2016 has been a big year for improving end-of- life care, and the emergence of Grace, a cremation, burial and end-of-life logistics startup, is the clearest sign of progress. Alongside 10 other innovative health tech startups in the first class of the Techstars Healthcare Accelerator program, Grace is proud to announce a partnership with Cedars-Sinai, a world-renowned health system, to extend compassionate end-of- life and funeral planning services to the loved ones of those who have recently passed away.
Through this partnership, Grace will work directly with the families of dying and recently deceased patients, helping them think through everything from understanding hospice, funeral costs, managing paperwork, and even closing out the countless accounts that need to be taken care of when someone passes.
“Cedars-Sinai is already known internationally as a leader in patient care, a reputation we’ve worked hard to cultivate,” said Dr. Bradley Rosen, Director of Care Transitions and Complex Medical Management at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. “And every day, our talented clinicians do everything in their power to save lives, heal the sick, and care for the suffering. Of course, death is ultimately unavoidable, and we firmly believe that our care should not end when a patient dies. Our partnership with Grace will allow us to extend critical services to the loved ones who are left behind, further honoring our commitment to delivering the best possible care through the entire care continuum.”
The hours and days following the death of a loved one are emotionally overwhelming and, for most, difficult to navigate. This is where Grace comes in. Clients from Cedars-Sinai whose loved ones are approaching end-of- life, or have already passed, will be given all the necessary information and assistance to both understand and honor their loved one’s final wishes, including how to:
- Determine who is in charge of an estate
- Discuss any known wishes of the loved one
- Arrange care for dependents
- Make funeral arrangements
- Secure property
- Arrange organ and/or body donation
- Cremation and funeral planning
- Distribute legal and healthcare documents to family, friends, and doctors
- Close out accounts
“Grace offers patients, families and friends of Cedars- Sinai a unique way to be connected with end-of- life services so that the precious time can be spent with loved ones,” said Joan August, Vice President, Service Line Operations at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. "The staff at Grace are compassionate and caring while being on the cutting edge of linking technology with the sensitive moments of life.”
Death is one of the hardest things in life to process. Through Grace’s compassionate and thoughtful approach to helping to deal with the loss of a loved one, we can help the families of Cedars-Sinai patients save time and money, lessen any undue stress, and ultimately, make the grieving process a little bit easier.
For more information on Cedars-Sinai, visit www.cedars-sinai.edu.