Tag: end of life

EOLPodcast

Ep. 511 Being with Dying: Teaching Death to Medical Students with Kevin Dieter MD

kwyattmd

Learn about innovative educational programs for medical students and the impact they are having.

My special guest Dr. Kevin Dieter is a family medicine and hospice and palliative care physician who helped to develop the nationally recognized palliative care curriculum at Northeast Ohio Medical University. He created a virtual learning module called “Being with Dying” for medical and pharmacy students to teach them what they need to know to be at the bedside of a dying patient. He discusses the course he offers, including training healthcare providers. Learn more from his website:

walking-home.com

Watch on YouTube

Get the booklet: Facing Death with Grace

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Kevin first learned about end-of-life care from his patient “Mary”
  • How Kevin went from being a family doctor to a hospice doctor
  • The value of exposing medical students to dying patients
  • 3 Pillars of wisdom:
    • dying are our teachers both directly and indirectly
    • we are the medicine for patients in our presence
    • dying is more than a medical event
  • How he helped initiate a learning experience called “The Hospice Patient as Teacher” for 3rd year medical students
  • How patients don’t want their physician to “run away” when they are dying
  • The power of home visits for patients
  • What “Being with Dying” consists of
  • Why this course can be replicated by other programs
  • Why he no longer talks about “good” or “bad” deaths
  • How Kevin became an Anam Cara

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 @yogat3ch for buying me a coffee and James Schultz who made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 510 Training Death Literacy Educators with Francesca Lynn Arnoldy

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Learn about an exciting new training to become a Death Literacy Educator and teach in your community.

My return guest Francesca Lynn Arnoldy is a doula and a published researcher with the Vermont Conversation Lab and she runs a program for Death Literacy Educators. She is the author of The Death Doula’s Guide to Living Fully and Dying Prepared, My Death Journal, The Map of Memory Lane, and Cultivating the Doula Heart. Today she discusses the importance of training educators who can help our communities grow in knowledge, understanding, and awareness of death. Learn more at her website:

francescalynnarnoldy.com

Get Francesca’s books

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What is death literacy
  • Why Francesca created this program
  • Training includes curricula and also tools for running a workshop and market it
  • Who might be interested in becoming a Death Literacy Educator
  • Why this movement needs space holders and not exclusively people who are dealing with death and loss themselves
  • What students experience during this training
  • Importance of sharing stories about death and grief
  • How the training helps students find clarity in their teaching and determine the content they prefer to teach
  • Tutorials and tools offered during the training
  • Grant created with Compassion & Choices to provide special training
  • The value of “attentional listening”

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 patron Stephanie Heilker, and to Curtis Robertson who made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 509 A Future Path for Hospice and Palliative Care with Ira Byock MD

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Learn about Dr. Ira Byock’s strategic vision for approaching the major issues facing hospice and palliative care.

My guest Dr. Ira Byock is a leading palliative care physician, author, and public advocate for improving care through the end of life. He is the author of the books Dying Well, The Four Things that Matter Most, and The Best Care Possible. He discusses his recent white paper “A Strategic Path Forward for Hospice and Palliative Care” and his 4-point approach for dealing with the current issues facing end-of-life care in the U.S. Learn more at his website and read the paper below:

irabyock.org

Read the Paper here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why it’s important for insiders in the field of end-of-life care to honestly face the current crisis and the grief we are experiencing
  • Fraud and abuse is a significant problem in hospice care today
  • There is a high variability in quality of care in hospice
  • Palliative care services are inconsistent across the country
  • Leaders in the field are not addressing the problems in the field
  • 70% of hospices are for-profit; profit needs to be tied to quality of care
  • There must be zero tolerance of fraud and abuse in end-of-life care
  • 4 elements of Dr. Byock’s strategic plan

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 Frank Voelker and Katie Daco who made donations on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 508 Navigating Life as a Dementia Caregiver with Beverly Thorn PhD

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Learn about a helpful book with resources for dementia caregivers.

My guest Dr. Beverly Thorn is dual trained in the neurosciences and clinical psychology. She is the author of hundreds of articles, two books, and four workbooks on coping with chronic illness. She has also been trained as an end-of-life doula and served as her husband’s caregiver through his dementia illness and at the end of his life. She is the author of the newly published book Before I Lose My Own Mind: Navigating Life as a Dementia Caregiver. Learn more at her website:

drbeverlythorn.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How her husband recognized that something was wrong long before his diagnosis
  • Patients and loved ones need to be empowered to change physicians if they don’t like the care they are receiving
  • The important contributions of end-of-life doulas and advocates
  • The stages of dementia Beverly observed in caring for Walt
  • Why others may not recognize significant changes that the caregiver can see
  • The constant loss and grief of dementia caregiving
  • Why an advance directive tailored for dementia is essential
  • There is a window of time where life values conversations need to be held with patients and loved ones
  • The experience of caregiver grief and guilt

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 everyone who bought me a coffee or donated on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 506 Pediatric Palliative Care and the Remarkable Children it Serves with Bob Macauley MD

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Learn about the specialty of pediatric palliative care and how one doctor has benefitted from his relationship with his seriously ill patients.

My guest Dr. Bob Macauley is one of only a few hundred pediatricians in the U.S. specializing in palliative care for children with life-threatening illness. Uniquely Dr. Macauley attended both divinity school and medical school at the same time, which gives him a spiritual perspective on palliative care as well. He is the author of the recently published book Because I Knew You: How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed a Doctor’s Soul. Learn more at his website:

robertmacauley.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What makes pediatric palliative care different from adult care
  • How children understand and cope with their own mortality
  • How his training as both a doctor and an Episcopal priest intersect in his approach to care
  • Some of the remarkable stories of children he has encountered
  • The challenges and rewards of supporting families during the most vulnerable times
  • Why the presence of joy and sorrow often coexist in children’s experiences
  • The spiritual and emotional lessons Dr. Macauley has learned from his work

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 thank you to Yoshimi Kanagawa for buying me 5 coffees and to Kathleen Cheetham who made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 505 How Death Doulas Fill the Gaps in End-of-Life Care with Kacie Gikonyo RN

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Learn how death doulas are improving end-of-life care in our medical system by tending to things that often get ignored.

Portrait of Kacie Gikonyo, RN and Death Doula, guest on End-of-Life University podcast episode discussing how death doulas support better dying experiences.

In this episode, I’m joined by Kacie Gikonyo, founder of The Death Doula Collective and Death Doula School. Drawing on more than a decade of nursing experience, Kacie shares how death doulas are helping to transform end-of-life care by addressing the emotional, spiritual, and relational needs that often go unmet by the medical system. We discuss the gaps in Western medical care, the shifts needed in how we approach dying, and how death doulas are bridging the divide with presence, advocacy, and compassion. Learn more at her website:

deathdoulakacie.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The limitations of Western medical care at the end of life
  • What death doulas provide that hospitals and hospice often cannot
  • How cultural mindset shifts could improve death care for everyone
  • Why presence and non-medical support are essential for a good death
  • Training and certification insights from the Death Doula School
  • Stories of transformation from Kacie’s doula practice

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 everyone who bought me a coffee or donated on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 504 The Ash Rose: Transforming Grief into Beauty with Ian McCartor

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Learn about making beautiful memorial art as way of navigating grief and honoring loved ones.

“Ian McCartor, hospice nurse and founder of The Ash Rose project, smiling in a natural setting, wearing a dark shirt.”

My guest Ian McCartor is a hospice nurse, musician, and founder of The Ash Rose, a project that transforms the ashes of loved ones into beautiful rose-shaped keepsakes. In this episode, Ian shares how his work helps individuals navigate grief by creating tangible symbols of remembrance and healing. Ian shares his journey from hospice care to creating tangible symbols of remembrance, highlighting how art and creativity can aid in the grieving process. He delves into the inspiration behind The Ash Rose, the impact it has had on individuals coping with loss, and the broader implications of integrating beauty into end-of-life rituals. Learn more at his website:

theashrose.org

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Ian’s journey from hospice nursing to creating The Ash Rose
  • The inspiration behind transforming ashes into rose-shaped keepsakes
  • How art and creativity can play a role in the grieving process
  • Stories of individuals who have found solace through The Ash Rose
  • The importance of honoring loved ones in unique and personal ways
  • Ian’s perspective on the intersection of grief, beauty, and healing

“Out of the ashes, something beautiful can still grow.”

Ian Mccartor

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 Barbara Walker for donating on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 503 Taboo Education: Changing the Way We Talk About Death with Samantha Waite

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Learn about breaking taboos around talking about death through a unique death education program in Australia.

My guest Samantha Waite is the quirky founding director of Taboo Education who works with individuals and groups in local, national (Australia) and international communities to resolve our taboo and confusion in talking about death. She is a long-time performing arts enthusiast as well as a trained counselor and youth worker with training in thanatology, psychotherapy and public health. She discusses some of the cultural differences around death and dying between the US and Australia and what Australia is doing right in terms of end-of-life care. Learn more at her website:

tabooeducation.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Samantha started Taboo Education
  • Why she chooses to dress in Victorian mourning clothes and how it serves her message
  • Why we sometimes wish people still wore mourning attire
  • Cultural differences between Australia and the U.S. in the death and funeral industry
  • Which countries have the best end-of-life care (and why some wealthy countries are failing)
  • Why the US is 43rd globally in providing care at end of life
  • Issues for healthcare providers around seeing death as a failure
  • The death doula movement in Australia

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 Kristina Oswath, Christine Maleck, and Patricia Cates for donating on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 501 Disability-Informed End-of-Life Care with Carrie Batt

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Learn why it’s important to be aware of the needs of people with disabilities (and their families) when providing end-of-life and bereavement care.

My guest Carrie Batt is an end-of-life doula and the founder of SEOL Care which offers disability-competent end-of-life care, support and planning for people with a disability and their families. She advocates for disability competent care and grief support after losing a loved one with a disability . She created a Facebook group To Walk a Mile in My Shoes that honors loss and disability. Learn more at her website:

seolcare.ca

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Carrie ended up working in the deathcare community as a disability advocate
  • Definition and categories of disability
  • Why is there so little awareness of the needs of the disability community
  • How end-of-life planning may differ for the disability community
  • What disability awareness training for deathcare workers should consist of
  • Obstacles to improving disability education
  • Providing bereavement support to caregivers for those with a disability
  • End-of-life resources for the disability community

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 patrons Dawn, Rosie Ross, and Beverly. And thank you to Xu Ying Steiner for buying me 5 coffees and to Nancy Reese Jones who made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 500 Celebrating a Milestone with Karen Wyatt MD

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Join me for a few stories and a brief celebration of the 500th episode of EOLU Podcast!

This week I’m celebrating the milestone of 500 Episodes and I hope you’ll share my joy! I’ll be answering a few questions (submitted by ChatGPT!) and telling a story or two. It has been an incredible experience being part of this ecosystem and I’m grateful to all of my guests and listeners for making this possible. Next week I’ll be back to the regular schedule of interviews. Meanwhile check out my website and YouTube Channel:

eoluniversity.com

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Original vision for the podcast and how it has evolved over time
  • What I’ve learned about the power of listening
  • A special story of synchronicity
  • Patterns and cultural shifts I’ve observed over time
  • What’s next
  • Gratitude for listeners and guests

Links mentioned in this episode:

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Ep. 499 Death as a Shift in Consciousness with Felicity Warner

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Learn about the value of viewing death through a spiritual lens rather than just as an ending of the physical body.

My guest Felicity Warner is the founder of Soul Midwives™ a global movement to teach holistic and spiritual end-of-life care. She has been working with death and dying for 35 years and her work is often used in hospitals, hospices, and care homes. She also teaches on the use of sacred oils at the end of life and will share that information today along with her insights about the five energetic stages of death. Felicity is also the author of The Soul Midwife’s Handbook, which will released later this year as an updated second edition and she is currently teaching a course on sacred oils for The Shift Network. Learn more at her website:

soulmidwives.co.uk

Register for course

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What is a “soul midwife” and how Felicity came to do this work
  • The five energetic stages of death and how they show up when people are dying
  • The role of sacred oils in supporting the dying
  • How death can be viewed as a shift in consciousness rather than an ending
  • How Western medicine is missing the emotional and spiritual perspective on life and death
  • What Felicity’s course on sacred oils will consist of
  • How we as deathcare workers can be more present to the emotional and spiritual needs of the dying

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 patrons Char Yutzy, Emma Schade-Stylli, and Wendy Getchell-Lacey who also made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 498 Memory Bears and Grief in Community with Michelle Sebern RN

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Learn how a project making memory bears for people who are grieving is opening the door to conversation about the end of life.

My guest Michelle Sebern is an RN who trained as an end-of-life doula to channel her skills and passion into more community-focused work. When she found her rural community wasn’t quite ready to receive end-of-life doula services she decided to find a more creative way to give back. She will share how she founded The Memory Bear Maker and now creates customized bears to help people in their grief and begin end-of-life conversations. Learn more at her website:

thememorybearmaker.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Michelle’s journey from nurse to doula and memory bear maker
  • The challenges of introducing doula services into a community not quite ready for that step
  • How she discovered memory bears to be the perfect blend of her passions
  • How memory bears help with grief
  • Why the bears are an alternate doorway into end-of-life education and conversations
  • How grief unites people by dissolving barriers
  • The magic of storytelling that comes with memory bear making

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 patron Sue Simone, and to Caroline McClure for buying me 3 coffees! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 497 Integrating Doulas and Chaplains in End-of-Life Care with Jane Whitlock and Liza Neal

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Learn how doulas and chaplains collaborate to provide end-of-life care in a skilled nursing facility.

My guests for this episode are Jane Whitlock and Liza Neal who both work with the Full Circle Care Program in a skilled nursing facility to support residents and their loved ones during end-of-life journeys. Jane is an end-of-life doula who also helped found the Minnesota Death Collaborative and co-founded Full Circle Care. Liza is a chaplain who has worked to develop spiritual community within and outside faith and multi-faith contexts. She joined the skilled nursing facility in order to be part of the Full Circle Care Program, which we discuss in this interview.

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How the Full Circle Care Program came about
  • The goals for the program and what it consists of
  • The roles of doulas and chaplains and how they work together
  • How they support and educate patients, families and staff around grief and end-of-life choices
  • The community that develops within a residential facility and approaching the experience of grief for everyone in the facility
  • The importance of teaching families and staff how to say goodbye to a dying person
  • How this program helps fills the gaps left by today’s “modern” hospice care
  • Obstacles that have occurred in creating this program
  • Tips for other skilled nursing facilities that might want to start a similar program

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 patron Trina Wacasey, and to everyone who has bought me a coffee or donated on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.


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Ep. 496 Visual Storytelling for End-of-Life Planning with Jill Greenbaum

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Learn how the art of Visual Storytelling can enhance end-of-life education and serve as a tool for advance care planning.

My guest Jill Greenbaum is a contemplative chaplain and advocate of conscious living and dying. She completed chaplaincy training at the Upaya Zen Center and integrates her experience in psychology, education, visualization, and trauma-informed teaching into her work helping people explore their choices for end-of-life planning. She discusses how she utilizes visual storytelling in her work and why it is a powerful tool. Learn more at her website:

jillgreenbaum.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Jill was drawn to visual storytelling and applying it to end-of-life planning
  • What is visual storytelling and how is it used
  • Why images can convey messages more powerfully than text
  • What is “graphic medicine”
  • Tips for more effective end-of-life planning and conversations
  • How to incorporate visual storytelling into end-of-life education
  • How visual storytelling can be used to create a visual obituary and a graphic recording for a celebration of life

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 everyone who has bought me a coffee or donated on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 495 Care Boss: Strategies for Family Caregivers with Jennifer A. O’Brien

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Learn how leadership skills and organizational tools can help decrease stress for family caregivers.

My guest Jennifer O’Brien has been a practice management consultant to physicians for 35 years and is the author of the book The Hospice Doctor’s Widow, which was the subject of our previous interview. After providing care for her husband, a hospice and palliative care physician, at the end of his life she has focused on helping people start conversations about caregiving and end of life. She shares insights and tips from her latest book Care Boss: Leadership Strategies and Resources for Family Caregivers, which was inspired by her realization that there are profound similarities between leadership and family caregivers. Learn more at her website:

jenniferaobrien.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Similarities and differences between the roles of family caregiver and CEO
  • How leadership strategies can benefit an overwhelmed family caregiver
  • The value of having a mission and vision statement for our end of life
  • How to assemble a “team” as a caregiver by identifying the helpers
  • Tips for delegating tasks to others
  • The best time to read this book and how to use it
  • Rethinking the idea of self-care as self-management and self-awareness
  • Using the Intensity Assessment Tool to understand the degree of stress you are experiencing
  • The idea of “Precious Time” and why it’s important

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 everyone who has bought me a coffee or donated on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 494 Integrating Art and the End of Life with Rich Curtis

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Learn how a hospice volunteer and doula utilizes his artistic talents to help patients and families.

My guest Rich Curtis is an artist, teacher, hospice volunteer and end-of-life doula. He currently volunteers for Archbold Hospice in Thomasville GA where he has utilized his artistic talents to help patients and their families at the end of life. Rich discusses his own path as an artist and eventually becoming a doula. He shares his drawings and tips for those considering being a hospice volunteer in this conversation. View Rich’s drawings at the link below or watch the video on YouTube to see them on screen:

View Rich’s drawings here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Rich’s spiritual journey to becoming a doula
  • How Buddhism encourages contemplation of death
  • The value of teaching art students about death
  • How Rich began drawing the hands of patients
  • Why drawings of hands are a unique and powerful remembrance
  • Life stories as told through images of hands
  • Art as an opening to conversations with difficult patients
  • The power of bringing our creative talents to the bedside of hospice patients
  • Tips for hospice volunteers
  • How Rich is creating “Breath Poems” from the sounds of end stage breathing

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 latest supporters Tanya Archambault and Malynda Cress and thanks to Heather Jardine for buying me 3 cups of coffee! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 493 The Good Death: An End-of-Life Guide with Suzanne B. O’Brien RN

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Learn what it means to have a “good death” and how and why we all need to prepare for the end of life to benefit ourselves, our loved ones and our planet.

My guest Suzanne B. O’Brien RN is the founder and CEO of Doulagivers Institute and a “pioneer” in the global death doula movement. She has trained hundreds of thousands of people from all around the world to care those at the end of life. Most recently Suzanne is the author of The Good Death: A Guide for Supporting Your Loved One Through the End of Life. She discusses the book and why it’s so important that we facilitate a shift in how we experience death at this time in our world. Learn more at her websites:

Doulagivers.com

TheGoodDeathBook.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Suzanne first got started offering free end-of-life trainings to lay people as a hospice nurse
  • Why hospice care alone can’t fix all the problems with how we approach the end of life
  • How as a society we lost generational knowledge about caring for the sick, dying and dead at home
  • Why allowing natural death can be a better choice than aggressive life-prolonging treatment
  • Most family members lack the skills and training to care for their dying loved ones at home
  • As the physical body goes through the dying process the spiritual aspect of life becomes more apparent
  • Contemplating mortality helps us shift our mindset about death and changes how we live our lives
  • How rituals help us cope with the losses we experience in life and death

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 Connie WS and to John Wadsworth for renewing your pledge. Also thanks to Someone who became a monthly member of Buy Me a Coffee! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 492 Rituals and Ceremonies for Life, Death and Grief with Megan Sheldon

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Learn about the benefits of creating intentional rituals for the big and small moments of life and death.

My guest Megan Sheldon is a cultural mythologist, humanist celebrant, and end-of-life doula in North Vancouver, BC. She is the co-founder of Be Ceremonial, the world’s first guided ritual and ceremony app. Megan will discuss her work creating ceremonies for people around the world, focusing on what she calls the ‘seemingly invisible moments of change’ in life and in death. She offers online workshops, virtual courses, and seasonal retreats and you can learn more at her website:

beceremonial.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why rituals are important as we navigate life and loss
  • How rituals are a forgotten part of our lives that come naturally to us
  • Ceremonies and rituals ultimately involve storytelling
  • What inspired Megan and her husband to create the Be Ceremonial app
  • How the app works and who might benefit from using it
  • Daily rituals can help us build our own creativity
  • The components of a meaningful ceremony, including a ritual for being present
  • Examples of simple rituals
  • Rituals for care providers for supporting self and others
  • How rituals help us embody the emotions we feel during challenging times

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 everyone who has bought me a coffee or donated on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 491 The Hospice Team and Whole-Person Care with Barbara Karnes RN

kwyattmd

Learn about the benefits of team-based care and how the hospice team works together on behalf of patients and families.

This week I’m welcoming my recurring guest Barbara Karnes RN, who is an internationally recognized thought-leader and expert on end-of-life care and the dynamics of dying. We are continuing our series of conversations on various aspects of hospice care and you can find links to previous episodes in the notes below. Today we discuss the importance of a team approach to care on hospice and the roles played by each member of the team. Barbara is the author of numerous books on death, dying, grief and caregiving including “the little blue hospice book,” Gone from My Sight. Check out her books and videos at her website:

bkbooks.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why team-based care is essential at the end of life in order to meet the needs of the whole person and their loved ones
  • The medical model focuses primarily on physical care but dying is also an emotional and spiritual experience
  • The members of the hospice team and what they do
  • How the hospice physician’s role has changed over time
  • Why creativity in the moment is important for hospice workers
  • How the hospice team shares information and works together to create a care plan with and for patients

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 everyone who has bought me a coffee or donated on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 490 How to Write Non-Fiction About Death, Dying and Grief with Joanna Penn

kwyattmd

Learn why and how to share your end-of-life wisdom and stories by writing a non-fiction book.

My guest Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoir as J.F. Penn. She is also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. Her most recent publication is the 2nd edition of How to Write Non-Fiction: Turn Your Knowledge Into Words. Today we discuss the challenges of writing non-fiction books about difficult and personal subjects like death and grief. Joanna offers her best tips and encouragement for anyone who wants to write a book but doesn’t know where to begin. Learn more about her work at her website:

thecreativepenn.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Types of non-fiction books and how to choose the best format for your subject matter
  • Why you don’t have to be an expert or “great” writer to write a book
  • Why and how to identify the target market for your writing
  • Choosing the best title for your book (and why it’s important)
  • The balance between writing what you think people need vs. what people want to read
  • The challenge of vulnerability in writing memoir
  • Why you need an outside editor or proofreader for your book

Links mentioned in this episode:

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