Dear lgh, Having just dealt with " the last 6 months", which could be 3 months or 12 months, depending on the person, I will share with you whatever you want to know about how to prepare forward. Does your family have Hospice involved yet? If not, it would be a good thing to do. Do you have a "Case manager" in her Insurance program [assuming that she has Ins. other than Medicare] there are many things your family can do to make the inevitable more bearable. The bottom line at this point is to be actively engaged in what is happening from here on out and being prepared to say the important things you want to say. I will answer any questions I can based on our journey- just e-mail me or send me a # where I can call you. This is tough stuff, so don't feel bad about asking for help. Amy in the Ozarks