Month: June 2023

EOLPodcast

Ep. 409 The Death Doula’s Guide to Living Fully and Dying Prepared with Francesca Lynn Arnoldy

kwyattmd

Learn about a brilliant workbook that helps us expand death literacy while exploring life’s deeper meaning.

My guest Francesca Lynn Arnoldy is a doula and a researcher with the Vermont Conversation Lab. She was the original developer of the end-of-life doula training programs at the University of Vermont and is the author of three “death-lit” books. In this conversation we’ll discuss her latest workbook The Death Doula’s Guide to Living Fully and Dying Prepared. Learn more at her websites:

www.francescalynnarnoldy.com

www.contemplativedoula.com

Get the workbook here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Reminder about Francesca’s previous book Map of Memory Lane and how it helps children learn about grief
  • Francesca’s main inspiration for creating this workbook
  • The value of keeping a “Death Journal”
  • How to use The Death Doula’s Guide as a death journal
  • The importance of acquiring both intellectual knowledge and inner wisdom
  • A heart-centering practice for death workers is a valuable tool
  • What death wellness means and how one can achieve it
  • The difference between sympathy, empathy, and compassion
  • How to do a life review

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu and to Robin Miniter for buying me 3 coffees! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 408 Soaring Spirits: Support for Widowed People with Michele Neff Hernandez

kwyattmd

Learn about a valuable organization that provides peer support and resources for people grieving widowhood.

My guest Michele Neff Hernandez is the founder and CEO of Soaring Spirits International, a non-profit organization providing peer support programming for widowed people worldwide. Michele has received local, state, and national recognition for her work in founding Soaring Spirits. She is also the author of Different After You: Rediscovering Yourself and Healing After Grief or Trauma. She shares why it’s important for grieving people to be able to connect with others who have experienced a similar type of loss and how the programs offered by Soaring Spirits meet that need. Learn more at these websites:

www.micheleneffhernandez.com

www.soaringspirits.org

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What inspired Michele to start Soaring Spirits
  • Why Soaring Spirits uses a broad definition of the word “widowed”
  • How widowhood may differ from other types of loss and grief
  • The timeframe of widowhood and how the needs of grieving people can vary at each juncture
  • Tips for those who are newly widowed
  • How grieving people benefit from being connected to others who have experienced similar losses
  • Programs Soaring Spirits has created to support people experiencing widowhood
  • Michele’s book and how it benefits readers

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 407 Navigating Your Parents’ Senior Years with Star Bradbury

kwyattmd

Learn some great tips for helping your parents make challenging decisions about their senior years and end of life.

My guest Star Bradbury is an Aging Life Care Specialist and the CEO of Senior Living Strategies. She has helped thousands of families make educated and informed decisions as they navigate the world of senior living and senior healthcare. She is the author of Successfully Navigating Your Parents’ Senior Years: Critical Information to Maximize Their Independence and Make Sure They Get the Care They Need. She shares tips and advice for helping parents make plans for their elder years, including the end of life, and how this book is a resource for all of us regardless of our age. Learn more at her website:

http://www.starbradbury.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why it’s important to maximize and prolong your parents’ independence
  • Tips for starting difficult conversations with your parents
  • Why confronting the need for change can get harder as we age
  • The benefits of “just in time” senior planning that takes place before a crisis occurs
  • How to navigate the world of senior living options and the best questions to ask when touring a senior care facility
  • Tips for being involved in your parents’ care when you don’t live nearby
  • Why aging in place may not be the best choice for every senior
  • Why “slow medicine” should be considered as part of our end-of-life planning

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest donor Ellen Koski! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 406 Living with Life-Limiting Illness with Novelette Munroe

kwyattmd

Learn about the challenges of coping with loss, grief and uncertainty that accompany a life-limiting illness.

My guest Novelette Munroe is a poet, artist and hospice volunteer who was born with a rare and life-limiting genetic skin condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB.) Despite dealing with ongoing and constant medical issues Novelette manages to volunteer her time in hospice and peer bereavement in her local community. She discusses the challenges of her life journey and how she has managed to cope with multiple losses caused by her illness and the deaths of several friends who also had EB. Learn more about Camp Discovery for kids with skin diseases:

www.aad.org/public/public-health/camp-discovery

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What life has been like dealing with EB
  • The importance of connecting with others who are experiencing a similar illness and how summer camp changed everything for Novelette
  • Why Novelette decided to become a hospice volunteer
  • How Novelette developed “grief literacy” with the help of teachers
  • Practices that have helped her cope with ongoing illness, uncertainty and grief
  • The benefits of mindful self-compassion for grief and illness
  • What Novelette wishes medical professionals understood about helping patients with life-limiting illness

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest donor Marian Head! Your contributions make all the difference.