*Note: this episode has been removed at the request of the speaker.
Tag: end of life care
Ep. 188 Nurturing the Heart of Hospice: Tools for the Workplace with Brenda Clarkson RN
Learn how administrators and managers can better support their staff in providing heart-based care to hospice patients.
My guest Brenda Clarkson, with over 40 years of nursing experience in hospice, truly understands the mystery that surrounds the dying process and how best to support patients and hospice staff as they journey together through the end-of-life experience. She shares her model for returning to the roots of excellent hospice care while navigating today’s regulatory challenges as outlined in her book “The Heart of Hospice: Core Competencies for Reclaiming the Mystery.” Contact Brenda at:
bclarkson@virginiahospices.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Registration is now open for the 8-week online course Spiritual Journeys in Chronic Illness. Rev. Dr. Terri Daniel and I will be co-teaching the class, which is offered by the Applied Wisdom Institute in partnership with the University of Redlands. CEU’s will be available! Learn more here.
Mark your calendars now for the event of the year!!! Announcing the Beautiful Dying Expo, which will be held in San Diego CA on November 2-3, 2019. I’ll be there as a facilitator for the event and registration is open now for workshop presenters, vendors, sponsors, authors, filmmakers. Go to www.beautifuldyingexpo.com to learn more. Contact Michele Little at info@beautifuldyingexpo.com if you are interested in being a presenter.
This interview includes:
- Why honoring “the mystery” of dying and death is important
- How the modern hospice movement has strayed from from the original heart of patient care
- A new “mystery model” of hospice care that overcomes some of the challenges faced by hospices today
- Core competencies of the hospice staff
- The 4 phases of growth experienced by hospice workers
- How to decrease the turnover rate of hospice workers
- Tools for administrators and managers to choose the best staff for hospice work and support them emotionally and spiritually
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Spiritual Journeys in Chronic Illness Course
- Beautiful Dying Expo – Nov. 2-3, 2019 – San Diego CA
- The Heart of Hospice by Brenda Clarkson RN
- Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the new EOLU mug (only Patrons can purchase it)!
If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on Patreon.com/eolu, especially my new Patron, Martha Turner!!
Ep. 186 How to Bring Death Doulas to the Hospice Team with Sherry Majewski LPN
Learn how death doulas can benefit both patients and staff when they are added to the hospice interdisciplinary team.
Today I’m sharing an interview with Sherry Majewski who is a hospice-certified LPN who went to become a Certified Death Doula and is now helping her employer create a doula program within the hospice. We talk about the benefits and challenges of adding doulas to the hospice team and why this is an important step forward as we work to improve care for the dying. Learn more about Sherry’s doula services at her website:
This interview includes:
- How Sherry became certified as a death doula through NPEC
- What has been missing in hospice care for patients and how death doulas can help fill in the gaps
- Advice for doulas who would like to start working with hospices
- How hospice staff members can benefit from receiving doula training themselves
- Benefits of doula care for patients, families, hospice staff members and the hospice organization as a whole
- Challenges of introducing a doula program to hospice
- Why certification is important for a death doula
Links mentioned in this episode:
- From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty
- NHPCO EOL Doula Council
- NEDA: National EOL Doula Alliance
- NPEC: National Professional EOL Doula Certification
- Doula training programs with Suzanne O’Brien RN, Deanna Cochran RN, Olivia Bareham
- Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu
- Get access to the EOLU mug by becoming a Patron:
If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on Patreon.com/eolu, especially my new patrons Joanna Lillian Brown, Karin Lindfors, Carol Marangoni, Cathy Clemens, Myra Bennett, and to Mandy Pierpont thank you for increasing your pledge!
Ep. 177 Midwife for the Soul: Easing Life’s Final Passage with Felicity Warner
Learn the essential aspects of “soul midwifery” from a true pioneer in the field of end-of-life care.
My guest Felicity Warner has been caring for the dying and teaching others to provide care for over 20 years. She shares with us how she found soul midwifery as her calling and the changes she has observed over the past two decades of her work as she has trained hundreds of people to become soul midwives in their own communities. Learn more at her website:
Listen here:
This interview includes:
- How Felicity first became interested in working with dying patients
- A look back at death and dying 20 years ago and the changes that have taken place over time
- The greatest challenges we face today in offering quality care to the dying
- What Felicity means by the term “soul midwife”
- How to prepare in order to be present with the dying
- Why listening is the most important skill we can develop in our work
- Felicity’s newest book: Sacred Oils and what we can learn from it
- Felicity’s Soul Midwives School and the trainings offered there
- Where to get Felicity’s books and how to work with her remotely or in person
A good death is an extraordinary, moving and sacred experience. It can also have a healing quality, not only for the person who is involved but their families, friends and the wider community. (Felicity Warner, Gentle 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 Patreon.com/eolu, especially Kathleen Rouleau who recently joined the team!
Ep. 175 The Highlights of 2018 and What’s New for Next Year!
Learn about the best of EOLU in 2018 and how to catch up if you missed any of these events!
“Death Education for Everyone” was the theme for 2018 and we’ll review all the great educational content that was provided in the past year. It’s not too late to listen in on the best webinars and interviews of the year before we get started on a brand new season of EOLU! Check out the links for the events you’ve missed in the description below.
Happy New Year to each and every one of you!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
BIG NEWS!! Starting in 2019 the EOLU Interview Series will merge with the EOLU Podcast – so all the great interviews you are used to hearing on the interview series will now be available as podcast episodes. This means you can subscribe to the podcast and listen to the interviews on your phone while you are on the go! In addition you’ll be able to hear the solo episodes (like this one) where I share my wisdom, inspiration, and ideas for embracing the end of life and living fully today.
You can subscribe to the podcast at one of the following links (whichever podcast app you use):
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (Click “View in iTunes” then click “Subscribe”)
You can also listen to the episodes at www.eolupodcast.com.
Thanks for all of your support in 2018! I appreciate you for listening in and encouraging me to keep going. And I’m especially grateful to those of you who have become patrons on my donation page at Patreon.com/eolu: you make my heart sing!
FEATURE PRESENTATION:
2018 has been a wonderful year for EOLU that began with a goal of supporting “Death Education for Everyone.” In support of that goal the following programs were created:
- A Year of Reading Dangerously online reading group; we’ve read one book a month this year and held 9 live book discussions with authors of the books in attendance. Nearly 1,000 readers from around the world have joined together to read the same book at the same time. We’ve all learned a lot about death, dying and the afterlife and have had fun in the process!
View the books and discussions from 2018 here.
Join the reading group here (if you haven’t already signed up!)
- Teaching Guidelines for a Death and Dying Class – this free pdf was made available to hundreds of people interested in teaching about end of life issues. You can still get the Guidelines here.
- Workshop on How to Teach a Death and Dying Class successfully helped launch dozens of classes around the country and culminated in 5 students creating online webinars, which you can view here.
- Promoted Cathy Zheutlin’s new film “Living While Dying” as an excellent tool for teaching community members about death and dying. Learn more about the film here.
- Co-hosted 3 teaching webinars that were very well received. If you missed these there’s still time to watch:
- “End-of-Life Doula Training for Caregivers and Volunteers” with Suzanne O’Brien of Doulagivers.com. View the webinar here.
- “Bridge Time: The Consequences of Change” with Jane Barton of Cardinalife.com; she talks about how caregivers can become more resilient in the face of change. View the webinar here.
- “Collaborative Care for Caregivers: How to Ask for Help” with Jane Barton. View the webinar here.
The “best” interviews of 2018 (though they were all fantastic!);
- Hansa Bergwall talking about the WeCroak app he created for smart phones that reminds you of your mortality 5 times a day. Listen here.
- Dr. Bob Uslander who has pioneered a new concierge model of end-of-life care, which could be a game-changer for the medical system and how we help patients navigate their last days. Listen here.
- Alua Arthur of Going With Grace talked about the legal issues that can occur after death and how to prepare for them in advance. Listen here.
- Deanna Cochran RN and Suzanne O’Brien RN both talked about the creation of the End-of-Life Doula Council by the NHPCO and the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance, which now provides certification training for doulas. Listen to Deanna’s interview here. Listen to Suzanne’s interview here.
- Cheryl Jones of Good Grief Radio Show talked about end-of-life issues and the LGBTQ community. Listen here.
- Jonathan Bartels RN discussed The Medical Pause which he initiated to show respect after the death of a patient at his hospital and has now spread around the world! Listen here.
- Michael Hebb talked about founding Death Over Dinner. Listen here.
- Joe Primo of Good-Grief.org discussed helping children with grief and how to include them in the experience of death and dying. Listen here.
For 2019 I’ll still be focusing on education as the primary goal of EOLU along with collaboration with other change-makers and this unifying message:
Let’s do dying and death better!
- A Year of Reading Dangerously will continue! View the book list here.
- There will be another workshop on How to Teach a Death and Dying Class (stay tuned to future podcasts for more information)
- More webinars (TBD)
- Speaking engagements (announcements coming soon)
Thank you for listening to the podcast and for leaving reviews on iTunes (they make a big difference!)
Tune in every week for a new episode! Until next time remember:
Face Your Fear BE Ready Love Your Life
Ep. 159 How to Make Difficult End-of-Life Decisions for a Loved One
In this episode I share my thoughts on how to approach the very difficult task of making an end-of-life decision about the treatment a loved one should receive. Many people are called upon to be decision-makers in these challenging situations and this episode serves as a guide for choosing the best option for someone we love. Download the handout below:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
This episode is sponsored by Suzanne O’Brien and her training program for caring for others at the end of life at Doulagivers.com and by your generous donations on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Join the team and receive special bonuses as a thank-you!
Thank you to all of my patrons and sponsors! Your support means everything to me!
FEATURE PRESENTATION:
Download the handout here:
Guide for Difficult EOL Decisions
Every day families are called upon to make nearly impossible decisions about the type of care a loved one should receive as they near the end of life. Here are some suggestions for how to navigate this challenging situation when there is no advance directive available for guidance:
- Gather medical information from all healthcare providers involved in care
- Ask direct questions:
- What is the diagnosis and what complications have occurred?
- What is the effectiveness of the recommended treatment?
- What are the chances for recovery or improvement?
- Are there side effects from the treatment or will it cause additional suffering?
- What will happen if treatment is stopped?
- What would you do if this were your loved one?
- Get expert advice and guidance from a palliative care team if available in your hospital
- Remember past conversations with your loved one that might give you clues as to his or her preferences for the end of life
- Consider the statistics that most Americans prefer to die at home and most do not want aggressive treatment to prolong life in the face of an incurable condition
- Ask your loved one for guidance by expressing your concern and your desire to make the best decision. Even though your loved one cannot verbalize, they can hear you – listen for any intuitive or “felt” guidance that might come to you about the best choice to make.
- Be gentle with yourself and recognize that you have done your best in a challenging situation
- Seek support from others outside your family
Tune in next week for another episode! Share this content with others who might it helpful and consider leaving a review on iTunes.
Until next time …
Face Your Fear BE Ready Love Your Life
Ep. 157 “Journey’s End”: Stories for Everyone About Death with Julie Saeger Nierenberg and Victoria Brewster
Learn about a helpful book of stories dealing with death, dying and the end of life and how you can contribute your own story to the next book in the series.
In this episode I present my conversation with the co-editors and co-curators of the book Journey’s End: Death, Dying, and the End of Life – Julie Saeger Nierenberg and Victoria Brewster.
Learn more about the book at journeysendbooks.com
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
This episode is sponsored by Authentic Presence training for healthcare providers from the Spiritual Care Program. You can receive a certificate in contemplative end-of-life care by completing this series of three courses, including an 8-day residential immersion retreat. Highly recommended!
Learn more here.
FEATURE PRESENTATION:
Today Julie Saeger Nierenberg and Victoria Brewster join me to talk about their book 
Journey’s End: Death, Dying, and the End of Life, which is a compilation of quotes, stories and resources that look at death from various perspectives. In our conversation we discuss:
- How Julie and Vikki ended up collaborating on this book
- How the stories in the book are organized:
- Personal Stories of Professionals and Lay People
- Professional Support and Caregiving Perspectives
- Funeral Home, Post-Death and Alternative Burial
- Grief and Bereavement
- How they chose the contributors for the book
- The feedback they’ve received from readers
- How this book of stories can be useful in many settings for both professionals and lay people
- How to submit a story for the next book in the series which will feature various cultural, ethnic and religious perspectives on death and dying
Read more about the book here.
Tune in every Monday for a new episode! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes!
Until next week:
Face Your Fear BE Ready Love Your Life
Ep. 152 Many Ways to be of Service to the Dying
In this episode I share some thoughts about how to get involved in the end-of-life movement if you have recently become interested in death and dying. You’ll hear about my best ideas for contributing to change in the way people die and offering your service to others.
Check out my book to read stories about hospice patients I cared for.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Welcome to our new sponsor: Authentic Presence Training from the Spiritual Care Program. Authentic Presence brings together practical contemplative resources with the knowledge and skills of modern hospice and palliative care. Suitable for professionals from all faith traditions or none, the course draws its inspiration particularly from Buddhist contemplative practice, the acclaimed classic The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, the work of the Dalai Lama, as well as contemplative neuroscience. Learn more here.
Thank you also to our new supporter on Patreon.com/eolu: Althea Halchuk! I’m deeply appreciative of your contribution to help keep this podcast and the EOL University Interview Series on the air! Go to Patreon.com/eolu to learn more and sign up.
Join me and my guest Suzanne O’Brien RN for a free webinar: “EOL Doula Training for Caregivers and Volunteers” on Tuesday July 24th at 5 pm Pacific/8 pm Eastern. Register here and you’ll receive the replay if you can’t attend live.
FEATURE PRESENTATION:
Learn about these opportunities to be of service to the dying in many different capacities:
- Work as a professional in hospice or palliative care (call your local hospice/palliative care program to see if you have the credentials needed and to learn about any training offered):
- physician
- nurse
- nurse practitioner
- nursing assistant
- social worker
- chaplain
- Become a volunteer – for those with no medical training:
- Hospice volunteers are always needed (call your local hospice for more information)
- No One Dies Alone – a program to ensure that each dying patient in the hospital has companionship if desired at the end of life. Listen to my interview here and learn more about NODA here.
- Threshold Choir – for those who love to sing; offer support and inspiration to the dying and their families through vocal music. Listen to my interview here and learn more about Threshold Choir here.
- Twilight Brigade – to provide end-of-life support to veterans. Learn more here.
- Pet Therapy for Hospice Patients – if you have a special pet and would like to receive training to provide visits to patients. Learn more in this interview.
- Seek out other opportunities in your community like Meals on Wheels, hospital or nursing home volunteer programs, church-related visitation programs
- Become an End-of-Life Doula – check out the training mentioned above with Suzanne O’Brien and find out if this work is a good fit for you. Learn more here.
- Start a caregiver training program – the need for in-home caregivers is going to increase dramatically over the next decade. Consider becoming a caregiver trainer to help your community meet this need.
- Teach a death education class – there is currently a great need for education about
death and dying in our society. Consider teaching your own class or workshop to provide information to others in your community. Get the Teaching Guidelines for a Death & Dying Class here.
- Create a Community Event to inspire people to learn more about the end of life:
- Start a Social Model Hospice – to provide non-medical residential support and caregiving for those who are without a proper home at the end of life. Listen to the interview here.
Whatever inspires you I hope you will gather your courage and take the next step to get involved in the end-of-life movement. Your help is needed!
There will be a new episode next Monday. If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thank you for your interest and support!
Until next time:
Face Your Fear BE Ready Love Your Life
Ep. 135 How to Practice Minimalism at the End of Life
Learn how a minimalist lifestyle can help you find more joy and meaning as you approach the later days of life.
In this episode I share my thoughts on why the minimalist lifestyle could help us avoid excessive and unnecessary medical treatment at the end of life. In addition there are many other benefits to living simply and with “less is more” as our goal when we get older.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
You can still join A Year of Reading Dangerously and confront your own discomfort about death, dying and the afterlife by reading one “dangerous” book each month in 2018! Sign up here!
Get the Teaching Guidelines for a Death & Dying Class and you’ll be on the mailing list to learn about the next class on creating your own course in death and dying coming up soon! Sign up and download here!
I’m so grateful this week to my latest supporters on Patreon.com/eolu! Thank you so much to Glenda Myles, Malynda Cress, Karen Britton, Mila Martin, and Tami Yinger! Your generosity means so much to me! If you want to join them go to Patreon.com/eolu to learn more about the bonuses you’ll receive for signing up!
FEATURE PRESENTATION:
The minimalist movement is all the rage right now among millennials and it has a lot of positive aspects we can learn from. The emphasis is on living simply, with less material possessions in order to have more joy and freedom in life. This lifestyle could serve us well as we approach our own end of life. Here are some ways to live more simply:
- Clear out possessions that you no longer use or cherish. This idea has been described in a recent blog and book about the Swedish practice of “death-cleaning.”
- Comes to terms with mortality. Recognize that life is finite and death is inevitable, therefore it is important to be intentional about how you live each moment in every day, including what kind of healthcare you choose.
- Take control over your healthcare – be proactive and question recommendations in these areas:
- Medications – Ask if the drugs you are taking are still necessary, if they could be causing side effects or creating negative interactions with one another. Ask if you can try reducing dosages or the number of medications you are being prescribed. Many seniors are taking at least 5 prescription medications according to studies.
- Annual exam – studies show that the annual physical exam wastes money and time and might even be harmful. Ask if you can decrease to one physical every 3 yeats.
- Health screenings – Over age 70 it is no longer recommended that you have the following screening tests: colonoscopy, mammogram, PSA, pap smear. Studies show that excessive screening can lead to false positive results, over-diagnosis and harmful over-treatment.
- Plan ahead and be prepared in order to minimize complications in these areas:
- Aging – How will you manage the physical changes of later life? Who will help you?
- Housing – Where will you live if you can’t stay in your own home?
- Terminal care – What type of treatment do you want to receive at the end of life and for how long?
- After-death care – What type of funeral and burial do you want to have?
- Learn to live in the moment – so you can enjoy all of life.
- Focus on what really matters – to help you eliminate the things you no longer care about.
- Find purpose and meaning by living simply and with intention for the rest of your days.
Remember to tune in every Monday for a new episode! If you enjoy this content please subscribe and leave a review on iTunes!
Until next week remember …
Face Your Fear BE Ready Love Your Life
Ep. 111 Moments of Life Campaign: Hope Through Hospice with Anita Brikman
Learn how this program of the NHPCO is helping to change public perception of hospice.
In this episode I share an interview with Anita Brikman, VP of Strategic Communications for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO.) We will discuss the “Moments of Life” Campaign, which promotes public awareness of hospice and how choosing hospice at the end of life is not “giving up.”
Learn more at https://moments.nhpco.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
At the time of this broadcast I am still traveling through Italy and biking in the Puglia region! I’ll be gathering information and writing stories for a new book on grief.
You can follow photos of my journey on Instagram and Facebook if you are interested.
As always I am infinitely grateful to all of my supporters on Patreon.com/eolu who have been making monthly contributions to keep this show and the End-of-Life University Interview Series on the air! Your support means so much to me! If you would like to become a patron or learn more about it go to Patreon.com/eolu.
FEATURED PRESENTATION:
Anita Brikman and I will discuss the NHPCO’s public awareness campaign Moments of Life: Made Possible by Hospice. You’ll enjoy hearing about the creation of this beautiful campaign and how it might benefit you and your community. Watch this brief video about the campaign:
In this interview you will learn:
- How the Moments of Life campaign is changing misperceptions about hospice care
- How cultural barriers to hospice care are being broken down by the Moments of Life videos
- What tools are avaiable on the Moments of Life website for patients and providers
- How you can help spread the word about this campaign in your own community
- How to submit a story to the NHPCO to be part of the campaign
Anita Brikman joined NHPCO in September of 2013 as the senior vice president of strategic communications and spokesperson for the national organization, which represents 1,600 hospice and palliative care providers with 3,400 locations across the United States, and more than 60,000 individual members. NHPCO’s affiliates, the National Hospice Foundation and Hospice Action Network, promote access to this end-of-life benefit and advocate to lawmakers and regulators about its vital importance to patients and families.
I hope you’ll visit Moments of Life and read or watch the beautiful stories of hospice patients there!
Thanks for tuning in and remember there will be a new episode every Monday! Until next week remember:
Face Your Fear BE Ready Love Your Life
Ep. 109 Twenty Years of “Dying Well” – A Conversation with Ira Byock, MD
Learn from palliative care thought leader Dr. Ira Byock how end-of-life care has changed over the past 2 decades since his book “Dying Well” was published.
In this episode I share a recent interview with Dr. Ira Byock that celebrates the 20th anniversary of his book Dying Well and features his wise perspective on end-of-life care “then and now.”
Learn more about Dr. Byock at www.irabyock.org.
Get Dying Well at Amazon or Barnes & Noble
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
As you listen to this broadcast I am currently in Italy–traveling and doing research for my new book on grief (also eating … a lot!) This episode has been pre-recorded (along with several others) so that there will be no interruptions in the podcast. If you want to see photos of my journey follow me on Instagram or Facebook.
This podcast is generously sponsored by donations on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. Thank you to all of my patrons–your support means everything to me!! Submit your questions for the next “Hospice Happy Hour” Q&A Session here and I’ll answer them next month. You can become a patron for just $1 or $2 per month and you’ll receive access to the Q&A recordings, the Top 10 Interviews from EOLU, and the opportunity to have your work promoted on this podcast. Go to Patreon.com/eolu to learn more!
FEATURED PRESENTATION:
Read the transcript of this interview here:
In this interview I will talk with Dr. Ira Byock about his groundbreaking book Dying Well: The Prospect for Growth at the End of Life which was published in 1997. We discuss:
- How he first got interested in hospice care during his residency training
- What inspired him to write Dying Well
- How writing the book helped him heal his own grief over his father’s death
- Changes he has seen in hospice and palliative care over the past 20 years (“the good, the bad, and the ugly”)
- Where we should be focusing our efforts now to continue to improve the end of life for everyone
- The upcoming Symposium on Palliative Care, Pain Management and Whole Person Care where Dr. Byock will be a presenter
- Where to purchase Dying Well
Download the Readers Discussion Guide for Dying Well here.
Dr. Ira Byock is a leading palliative care physician, author, and public advocate for improving care through the end of life. He is the Founder and Chief Medical Officer for the Institute for Human Caring of Providence St. Joseph Health.
Tune in every Monday for a new episode of the podcast! If you enjoy this content please take a moment to leave a review on iTunes – it will help other listeners find the podcast.
Meanwhile remember ….
Face Your Fears. BE Ready. Love Your Life.
Ep. 102 Supernatural Stories from the Dreams of a Hospice Physician
In this episode I’ll share my own “supernatural” dreams that occurred while I was caring for hospice patients. It’s time to come forward and talk more openly about these experiences to help shed light on the dying process and the after-death realms.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Register now for “An Evening with Ira Byock MD” which will take place on Monday August 21st at 6 pm Pacific/9 pm Eastern. We will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of his groundbreaking book Dying Well. Dr. Byock and I will discuss the changes in palliative and hospice care that have taken place over the past 20 years and what changes still must occur to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to “die well.”
Click here to learn more and register (it’s free and you’ll receive the replay if you can’t attend live.) You’ll also receive the Dying Well Readers Discussion Guide – a very helpful resource for leading a book group or workshop on Dying Well.
This podcast is supported by generous donations to my page at Patreon.com/eolu. A HUGE “Thank you” goes out to my latest donor: Jane Duncan Rogers of BeforeIGoSolutions.com – a non-profit located in Scotland. And thanks as well to all of the other supporters who are chipping in a few $ per month to help keep the podcast and the End-of-Life University Interview Series on the air! Learn more or become a patron at Patreon.com/eolu.
PERSONAL NEWS:
I am currently planning an Autumn trip to Italy where I will be eating amazing food, viewing sacred sites, cycling, and researching a new book on grief. You can view my Pinterest board if you are interested in seeing all the locations on my “wish-list” for the trip. Feel free to make suggestions if you have a favorite spot in Italy that I shouldn’t miss! I’ll be sharing photos on Instagram and Facebook once the trip begins.
PRESENTATION:
This week I attended a meeting at the IANDS 2017 Conference in Denver (International Association for Near Death Studies.) I sat together in a small circle with individuals from all around the country who have had near-death experiences and also with end-of-life caregivers who have had unusual “supernatural” experiences while working with the dying.
I was impressed by the courage of the group members who were willing to share their stories and risk being labelled as “flakey” or even crazy. And that’s what inspired me to record this podcast episode.
During my work with hospice patients on multiple occasions I experienced vivid dreams where I saw my patients in “soul form” (or a disembodied state) before they had actually died. These dreams brought me much comfort and also eased my fear of death. On some occasions I was able to share the dreams with family members who were comforted, as well, by the visions I had seen.
I have never shared these dreams publicly out of a fear of being ostracized by the medical profession. But the time for secrecy has long passed and we need transparency and truth in all matters surrounding death and dying. So I’m telling these stories in hopes that others might be inspired to talk openly about their experiences as well. If you have a story to tell but no one to share it with I hope you will email me at karen@karenwyattmd.com and describe your experience – let’s support one another!
Tune in next week for another new episode. Until then remember ….
Face Your Fear. BE Ready. Love Your Life.
SPECIAL EPISODE: Extreme Measures in the ICU with Dr. Jessica Zitter
Learn how ICU and Palliative Care Physician Dr. Jessica Zitter is changing the culture of critical care medicine in America.
My guest Dr. Jessica Zitter, MD, MPH, is committed to changing the current paradigm of end-of-life medical decision-making. In today’s medical culture, the dying are often put on what she calls the “End-of-Life Conveyor Belt.” They are intubated, catheterized, and die attached to machines, frequently without even knowing they are dying.
In her work, Zitter builds bridges between patients and the healthcare team, striving to offer care aligned with each patient’s values and preferences. She has come to see that patients empowered with knowledge can die well, even beautifully.
Dr. Zitter practices the unusual combination of Critical and Palliative Care medicine at Highland Hospital, a public hospital in Oakland, California. She attended Stanford University and Case Western Reserve University Medical School and earned her Masters in Public Health from University of California, Berkeley. Her medical training includes an Internal Medicine residency at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and a fellowship in Pulmonary/Critical Care at the University of California, San Francisco. She is also co-founder of Vital Decisions, a telephone-based counseling service for patients with life-limiting illness.
Dr. Zitter is the author of the new book, Extreme Measures – Finding a Better Path to the End of Life, published by Penguin Random House in February 2017. She is a regular contributor to The New York Times on these issues, and her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, Pacific Standard, and JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association. She is featured in the short documentary Extremis, which won top honors at the Tribeca and San Francisco International Film Festivals, has been nominated for an Academy Award, and is now streaming on Netflix.
Purchase Extreme Measures here.
This interview will cover:
- How Dr. Zitter became aware of the need for a culture shift in critical care medicine
- How our life-saving technology has become a nightmare for some patients
- The changes needed in medical education to help physicians provide better end-of-life care to patients
- How patients and their loved ones can prepare for end-of-life decision-making
- Advice for choosing the best healthcare proxy
Learn more about Dr. Zitter’s work:
Website: www.jessicazitter.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jessicazitter
Twitter: www.twitter.com/JessicaZitter
Be sure to tune in every Monday for the regular weekly episodes of the EOLU Podcast and until then remember: