Month: January 2024

EOLPodcast

Ep. 440 Nights of Grief and Mystery with Stephen Jenkinson

kwyattmd

Enjoy this deep and soulful conversation with “The Griefwalker” Stephen Jenkinson.

My guest Stephen Jenkinson is the author of the award-winning book Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul and the creator and principal instructor of the Orphan Wisdom School. He discusses the Nights of Grief and Mystery project, which he created with singer/songwriter Gregory Hoskins, and how they have been touring the world with this profound musical and storytelling show. Stephen shares his thoughts on the crises of our contemporary society and how to proceed in the midst of our deep sorrow. Learn more about Stephen’s work at his website:

orphanwisdom.com

Get Stephen’s book here

Watch on YouTube

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This episode includes:

  • How Stephen views his “audience” as allies
  • Tips for being fully present during performances on tour
  • A reading of the Invocation from the show
  • “Rage is what you do when you don’t know how to have a broken heart”
  • Why happiness is a by-product of living life a certain way, not a goal of life
  • Why age + experience does not add up to wisdom
  • How the second half of life differs from the first (and what to do about it)
  • “Crisis” literally means the place where the roads cross and a choice must be made
  • Why Stephen says hope doesn’t belong in a time such as ours

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 those who’ve bought me a coffee! Also many thanks to all of you who joined the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 439 Medical Aid in Dying: A Chaplain’s Perspective with Rev. Dr. Terri Daniel

kwyattmd

Learn how hospice chaplains can offer support to people who choose medical aid in dying.

My guest Dr. Terri Daniel is an inter-spiritual hospice chaplain, end-of-life educator, and grief counselor, who is the author of four books on death, grief and the afterlife, and a frequent guest on the podcast. Today Terri and I talk about medical aid in dying from a chaplain’s perspective and she discusses her experiences working for a hospice in Oregon that provides support for MAID. Learn more about Terri’s work at her website:

danieldirect.net

Watch on YouTube

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This episode includes:

  • The history of medical aid in dying in Oregon
  • How EOLCOR (End-of-Life Choices Oregon) assists people who want to utilize medical aid in dying
  • The wide variations in hospice policies around medical aid in dying
  • Dilemmas around communicating with family members who don’t support MAID
  • How MAID differs from suicide and why we need to understand that difference
  • A beautiful end-of-life ritual Terri created for a person utilizing MAID
  • Why some chaplains feel conflicted about supporting medical aid in dying
  • Religious objections to MAID
  • The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy about MAID in some hospices
  • Dementia directive for advance care 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 Kathleen Behrens.  Also thank you to Tom Waknitz and Carew Papritz for joining the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 438 How to Choose the Best Hospice for Your Loved One with Barbara Karnes RN

kwyattmd

Learn tips for choosing the best hospice and asking all the right questions.

This week I welcome back my recurring guest Barbara Karnes RN, hospice nurse, author, speaker, thought leader and expert on end-of-life care. She is the author of ‘the little blue hospice book, Gone from My Sight and the recently published By Your Side: A Guide for Caring for the Dying at Home. Today we discuss why we hope people will choose hospice for care at the end of life and how to choose the right hospice for their loved one. Learn more about Barbara’s work at her website:

www.bkbooks.com

Get the book here.

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why we need to do our own research on hospices that are available to us
  • How Medicare-certified hospices can differ from one another
  • The importance of having a primary nurse assigned to each hospice patient
  • Why you need to ask about the availability of inpatient care for private pay
  • Understand that families have to provide the 24/7 care at home
  • Ask how often visits will occur and how long each visit will last
  • Ask if staff members prioritize being there at the time of death
  • Find out how quickly first visit will occur
  • Don’t just go with the hospice recommended by the hospital discharge planner
  • Ask about the quality of bereavement support offered

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 Deborah Laukaitis.  Also thank you to Dana Tuttle for buying me a coffee and to everyone who has joined the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 437 Holding Space for Birth and Death with Amy Wright Glenn

kwyattmd

Learn what it actually means to “hold space” for others during times of challenge.

My guest Amy Wright Glenn is a Kripalu Yoga teacher, birth and death doula, hospital chaplain, and prenatal yoga and wellness instructor. She is the founder of the Institute for the study of Birth, Breath, and Death, known for its teacher training programs. Amy is the author of the book Holding Space: On Loving, Dying, and Letting Go, which she discusses today. Amy shares what it means to hold space and how we learn to practice that. Learn more at her website:

www.birthbreathanddeath.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Amy came to create the Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath and Death
  • How birth and death are connected
  • What it means to “hold space” for others
  • Practices for learning how to hold space
  • The “companioning model” of grief support
  • How to hold space for pregnancy loss
  • Training course for facilitators of pregnancy loss support groups

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 donors Marian Folkemer, Monica Czaplinski, Jan Wiebking, Neo Sakurai, Chrissi Guerin, Donna Fleming and to Joy and Suzanne for increasing your pledges.  Also thank you to Sam Cash, Mark Langlois and “Someone” for buying me coffees and to Shannon Tolson, Sylvia Sigurdson, Jeya Venugopalakrishnan, Leslie Morgan and Laura Srygley for joining the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

BONUS: Casting Call for Docuseries on Grief with Kim Clevenger

kwyattmd

In this special brief episode I’m bringing you an invitation from casting director Kim Clevenger to contact her about appearing in a new docuseries on grief and loss. She is looking for people experiencing grief over any type of loss who are willing to share their journey with others in this series. In the recording she explains a bit about the show and what it will consist of. If you’re interested contact Kim at the email address below and send your full name, photo, story, and contact information.

GriefShowCasting@gmail.com

Listen here:

EOLPodcast

Ep. 436 Highlights of 2023: The Best of the Best with Karen Wyatt MD

kwyattmd

Find out what you may have missed in 2023 if you haven’t listened to every episode!

In this solo episode I recap some of the episodes of this podcast that had the greatest impact on me personally and professionally! All of the interviews from 2023 were fantastic but if you missed any of these be sure to take a listen! Thanks for your support this year! Looking forward to another amazing year – be sure to subscribe and leave a rating and review if you enjoy this content.

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND MANY BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOUR BELOVEDS!

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Links mentioned in this episode: