2 US women host dinner party to discuss issues on how to deal with death

Two California women, who wanted to get people talking about end-of-life issues, held the first 'Death and Dying' dinner in New York.

At psychologist Sarah Neustadter and hospice nurse Laurel Lewis' "Death and Dying" dinner, the fare was typical - chicken, orzo, lasagna - but the conversation among the 11 guests wasn't.

Lewis, a hospice nurse in California, said that the general public holds the concept of death and dying as something that is dark and morbid, so the goal here is to bring it out in the open for people with similar experiences in a casual setting.

Monday's gathering - at Neustadter's parents' upper West Side apartment - was the first in New York, Lewis has hosted three dozen since 2010, 12 years after her husband died in a helicopter crash, the New York Daily News reported.

Lewis met Neustadter, a 34-year-old psychologist, after her boyfriend committed suicide in 2008 - and the two bonded over their shared tragedies.

They quickly vowed to help other women get through the pain of death by confronting it head on.

After breathing exercises led by Lewis, each participant learned the ground rules: no alcohol, complete confidentiality and an overview of the topics, which include suicide, the loss of a child, hospice care and preparing a living will.