End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 34 Begin the Conversation with Kimberly Paul

kwyattmd

Today’s focus is on advance care planning as Dr. Wyatt shares an interview with Kimberly Paul of Lower Cape Fear Hospice, who is the creator of the Begin the Conversation Workbook and Toolkit. You’ll learn about National Healthcare Decisions Day and Dr. Wyatt’s 10-Day SMART Decisions Challenge, which you can join for free at www.eoluniversity.com/challenge and get your own advance directives done with Dr. Wyatt’s guidance.

In the interview Kimberly will share:

  • How the BTC Toolkit can be used to introduce the concept of Advance Care Planning to people of all ages
  • The 7 step process recommended in the BTC Workbook
  • How Begin the Conversation differs from other advance care planning resources
  • How to access the tools offered by BTC

Learn more about BTC at www.begintheconversation.org

Sign up for End-of-Life University at www.eoluniversity.com or by texting EOLU to 38470.

Remember to check out the Patreon page for this podcast and make a donation if it suits you at www.patreon.com/eolu

Thanks for listening! Take care and get your advance directives done!

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 33 How to Start an End-of-Life Book Club with Karen Wyatt MD

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Dr. Karen Wyatt talks about the value of creating a book club in your community that focuses on end-of-life issues for a full year. You will learn:

  • why an end-of-life book club is a good idea
  • tips for starting a book club from scratch
  • year-long template for subjects to discuss during your book club
  • recommended books for your group to read

View the template and book recommendations at this link.

Read the companion blog here.

You can help support this podcast by donating on our Patreon page at http://patreon.com/eolu

Sign up to receive email notifications from End-of-Life University here.

Join us each Monday for a new episode of the EOLU Podcast!

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 32 How to Plan an End-of-Life Event for Your Community

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Join Dr. Karen Wyatt and her guest Ashley Benem as they discuss Ashley’s experiences creating and hosting a large community event focused on the end-of-life. Hear how Ashley conceived of The Art of Death Exhibition and Conference in Bellingham, WA in 2014 and learn what it takes to create a similar event in your own community.

In this interview you will learn:

  • The basic template Ashley used for planning her event
  • A step-by-step approach to putting on a large community event
  • The benefits of engaging your entire community in an educational, inspirational event about the end-of-life
  • Tips for hosting your own event

Website: www.theartofdeathbellingham.wordpress.com

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 31 March End of Month Update on the End-of-Life with Dr. Karen Wyatt

kwyattmd

Dr. Karen Wyatt discusses what’s new and noteworthy in the end-of-life arena this month:

  • Medscape article reveals that 1/3 of all people in the US with advance directives actually request more medical intervention at the end-of-life, rather than choosing to limit medical intervention; question: What is “futile” care?
  • Helsinki, Finland project allows young people to live at low cost within senior living centers in exchange for interacting with the elderly residents
  • PEACH program in Toronto provides mobile palliative care to the homeless
  • France has a “deep sleep bill” allowing terminal sedation that has passed the lower house of parliament
  • National Geographic article shows interesting death customs of Torajan people of Indonesia
  • Demonstration project for curative care occurring simultaneously with hospice care may be doomed because criteria for participation is too narrow and numbers are too small
  • Video game “That Dragon, Cancer” has been released
  • Stanford Letter Project is an interesting resource for creating advance directives in the form of a letter to physician, family members
  • Parting.com has an interactive map that shows funeral costs in each state of the US; discussion about living funerals
  • Tribute to 13 yo Delaney Clements who died this week and left us with a beautiful , joyful video expressing her wishes for her funeral
End of Life, EOLPodcast, Hospice

Ep. 30 Prison Terminal: A Film About Hospice in Prisons with Edgar Barens

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Dr. Karen Wyatt interviews Edgar Barens who is the director of the documentary film “Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall.” The film focuses on hospice care being offered to a dying inmate at the Iowa State Penitentiary, where fellow inmates help provide care to the sick and dying. This film would be an excellent selection for a community-wide film series and discussion group.

In this interview you will learn about:

  • the process of creating this film and what motivated Edgar Barens to take on such a project
  • the aging prison population and the need for hospice care in prisons
  • the prison hospice model and how it differs from traditional hospices
  • the use of fellow prisoners as volunteer caregivers

Website: http://www.prisonterminal.com

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 29 How to Start a Death Cafe with Betsy Trapasso

kwyattmd

Learn all about the rapidly growing, grassroots movement of the Death Cafe from Betsy Trapasso who has been hosting cafes in Los Angeles for the past 3 years. Betsy will share stories from her own experiences with Death Cafe Los Angeles and fill us in on:

  • How and why she started Death Cafe LA
  • The benefits of hosting a Death Cafe
  • How to plan and promote a Death Cafe in your own community

Whether you are interested in starting or attending a Death Cafe or if you just work in the end-of-life arena, you will want to listen in to this informative interview!

Websites: http://www.betsytrapasso.com

http://www.deathcafe.com

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 28 Action Steps for Improving End-of-Life Care in Your Community with Karen Wyatt MD

kwyattmd

Click here to get the handout for this talk!

Today Dr. Karen Wyatt discusses several “Action Steps” you can take in your own community to help improve end-of-life care. Change begins with the individual and if you want to ensure that your own dying is handled with respect and dignity then you should start now to help implement change. This podcast offers tangible steps you can take–some are easy, some will require a lot more effort–to get your community talking about and making changes in how death and dying are managed. Some of the tips include:

  • Starting a Death Cafe
  • Creating an End-of-Life Book Club
  • Presenting a film series on the end-of-life
  • Volunteering for hospice
  • Teaching a death and dying class
  • Hosting a Death Over Dinner event
  • Facilitating a 5 Wishes workshop

Get the handout for this talk at http://tinyurl.com/eolaction

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 27 February End of the Month Update on the End-of-Life with Dr. Karen Wyatt

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In this February Update on End-of-Life Issues, Dr. Wyatt will discuss:

  • Medical schools put more emphasis on pain management education to help reduce over-prescribing of opioid medications, misuse of these drugs and subsequent OD’s, which have doubled in the past decade.
  • Dementia rates appear to be falling in the U.S. according to a recent report in NEJM due to the level of education and improved heart health of the senior population.
  • Prison hospices face a challenge in meeting the needs of dying patients for pain medications due to risks of misuse of meds within the prison walls.
  •  Johns Hopkins study published in JAMA shows impact of stress on family caregivers. New website caretransitions.org has tools and resources for caregivers and also to train “care transitions coaches” who can educate community members on the skills needed to become an effective caregiver. Hopefully this will alleviate some caregiver stress and increase the number of available caregivers.
  • Talk about the newly-released book “When Breath Becomes Air” by 36 y.o. neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi who wrote the book while dying of cancer.
  • Emergency care nurse instituted “The Pause” at a UVa hospital after a death in the ER to show respect and acknowledge the loss of life. Trend is spreading to other hospitals.
  • Similarly a photo circulated on Facebook showing doctors in China bowing to an 11 y.o. boy who asked that, after his death from a brain tumor, his organs be donated to save the lives of others. The medical staff bowed 3 times to honor his bravery and selflessness. Beautiful!
  • Article about homeless people dying on the streets and the need for options to care for those without suitable homes available as they are dying. Discussed the “social model hospice” option. See Episode 23 from February 1st for more info about the social model hospice.
End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 26 Death Takes the Stage: The Death Monologues with Giselle Suarez

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Join Dr. Karen Wyatt and her special guest, actress Giselle Suarez, for a conversation about THE DEATH MONOLOGUES, a unique theatrical experience that dives into life’s greatest taboo. The Master of Ceremonies in this play is Death, who takes the audience through monologues with five different characters that shed light on the subject of death.

You will learn about this unique initiative to open up the conversation on death and dying:

  • how the arts can impact society’s atttudes toward death and dying
  • why an actress is motivated to present such a unique performance
  • how to support the arts as a medium for opening hearts and minds to the subject of dying
End of Life, EOLPodcast, Uncategorized

Ep. 25 Choosing Death by VSED with Phyllis Shacter

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Join Dr. Karen Wyatt and her guest Phyllis Shacter, an advocate for natural dying through voluntary stopping of eating and drinking (VSED.) Phyllis will discuss the story of her husband Alan who made the choice to stop eating and drinking rather than progress into the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease. In this interview you will learn:

  • factors that must be considered before making a decision for VSED as a means of dying with dignity
  • the role a caregiver must play in this type of decision
  • a personal perspective on the process of dying when a choice for VSED has been made
End of Life, EOLPodcast, Grief

Ep. 24 The Many Paths of Grief with Karen Wyatt MD

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In this podcast I will discuss eight tips for coping with grief I have learned through the many interviews I’ve conducted in the past for End-of-Life University. One of the common threads I’ve found in the stories of my guests for EOLU is that most of us have experienced the death of a loved one in the past and that our current interest in the end-of-life arena has been inspired in one way or another by that death and our subsequent grief process.

You will learn tips for coping with grief, practical suggestions for applying those tips to your own life situation and how to navigate the journey of grief that can be dark and lonely at times.

End of Life, EOLPodcast, Hospice

Ep. 23 Social Model Hospice Homes Can Revolutionize EOL Care with Mitcheal Metzner, PhD

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Dr. Karen Wyatt interviews Dr. Mitch Metzner, founder and CEO of Anam Cara, a social model hospice house in California. In this interview you will learn:

-the history of the non-medical social model for hospice care
-the difference between the non-medical social model and the medical inpatient model of hospice care
-how to overcome community resistance to neighborhood hospice care
-guidelines for starting a social model hospice house
-how Anam Cara is meeting the challenges of being a small stand-alone non-profit organization

End of Life, EOLPodcast, Hospice

Ep. 22 End of Month Update on the End-of-Life with Karen Wyatt MD

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In this episode from January 25, 2016 Dr. Karen Wyatt does an end-of-month review of news and happenings in the end-of-life arena. Subjects covered include:
-deaths of David Bowie and Stephen Levine and their possible influences on societal acceptance of death and dying
-studies on monthly stipends being paid to post-9/11 caregivers
-Facebook videos of preschool being held in a nursing home and dementia patient caring for a baby doll
-NHPCO infographic showing hospice trends over the past 6 years
-JAMA special issue on death and dying and Atul Gawande’s editorial
-study showing unnecessary screening for breast and prostate cancer in older Americans
-Story from Australia of Pat and Peter who died together in a suicide pact to avoid having to seek out medical care in later life

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 21 Natural Dying: Advance Care Planning for Dementia with Stanley A. Terman MD, PhD

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Dr. Wyatt interviews Dr. Stanley Terman about his strategy for helping dementia patients die a natural death without prolonged suffering.

In addition during this interview you will learn:
-how to create a living will that will ensure your wishes are met when you reach the end-of-life
-why an “ironclad strategy” for the end-of-life may be necessary
-resources for caregivers and professionals who deal with Advanced Dementia
-how to talk with family members about natural dying

Read transcript here.

Aging, EOLPodcast

Ep. 20 Positive Aging: How to Launch an Encore Career with Laura Schlafly

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Join Dr. Karen Wyatt and her guest Laura Schlafly, a coach and career guide for aging adults.

In this interview you will learn:

-How Baby Boomers are revolutionizing the concept of an Encore Career
-How to accomplish a career change late in life
-What are the most popular encore career fields and jobs currently available

End of Life, EOLPodcast, Hospice, Uncategorized

Ep. 19 The Future of Hospice Care in the U.S. with Donald Schumacher PsyD

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Dr. Wyatt interviews Donald Schumacher, President and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

In this interview you will learn:
-How hospice care is growing in the U.S.
-What still needs to change in end-of-life care
-What you can do to promote better end-of-life care for yourself, your loved ones, your community and our nation

End of Life, EOLPodcast, Grief

Ep. 18 Using Loss to Fuel Your Transformation with Karen Wyatt MD

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In this interview Dr. Karen Wyatt is a featured guest on the Bouncing Back Telesummit, talking with host Susan Parker. Dr. Wyatt will share:

• 3 elements of the “Butterfly Principle” of growth and why you must understand them
• Tips for staying in balance when everything is falling apart
• 3 essential tools for your ongoing growth and transformation

Learn about the tele summit at http://www.bouncingbacksummit.com

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 17 Planning Ahead for Whole Body Donation with Kayla Hrabak

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Dr. Karen Wyatt interviews Kayla Hrabak of United Tissue Network about how to donate one’s body to science after death.

In this interview you will learn:
-About whole-body donation as an alternative end-of-life option
-Benefits of being a whole-body donor
-The importance of human tissue for medical advancements

End of Life, EOLPodcast, Uncategorized

Ep. 16 Getting the Best Care Possible at the End of Life with Ira Byock MD

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Dr. Karen Wyatt interviews palliative care physician Dr. Ira Byock about his vision for improving care at the end-of-life.

This interview will focus on:
-Defining the “best care possible” for you and your loved ones
-Why preparation for end-of-life care is important
-How to advocate with your healthcare providers for the quality of care you want

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 15 Home Funerals and Natural Burials with Merilynne Rush, RN

kwyattmd

This interview with home funeral guide Merilynne Rush, RN will discuss after-death options for home funerals and natural burial.

You will learn:
-What options are available for home funeral or visitation after death
-How to plan a “green” or natural burial
-State regulations regarding burial
-Why “Death Cafes” are sweeping the country and how to join or lead one