Tag: end-of-life preparations

EOLPodcast

Ep. 461 The NOKbox: A Gift for Your Next of Kin with Maria Fraietta

kwyattmd

Learn about a helpful tool for organizing all your records and files for your later years and your loved ones.

My guest Maria Fraietta is the founder of The Nokbox, which is a complete system that helps you organize all of your accounts, possessions, social media presence, communities, kids, pets, personal history, and estate plans. Maria is a former high school teacher and lives and works as an entrepreneur in Littleton, Colorado. She discusses the importance of being organized and prepared as we look ahead to later life. Learn more at her website:

thenokbox.com

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Maria was inspired to create The Nokbox
  • Why tools like The Nokbox are essential right now
  • What happens when people don’t plan ahead
  • How The Nokbox works and can be customized
  • Suggestions for getting started organizing records and files for our next of kin
  • How to update information in The Nokbox over time
  • Services offered by The Nokbox team and on the website

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 supporter Jennifer Keenan and to Simply Celebrate for buying me a coffee. Also many thanks to Raven Butterfly for joining the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 458 The Phone of the Wind: Connecting with Those We Grieve with Dina Stander

kwyattmd

Learn how the “phone of the wind” can help us establish continuing bonds with our loved ones who have died.

My guest Dina Stander is an end-of-life navigator, funeral celebrant and burial shroud maker. She is also the founder of the Northeast Death Care Collaborative, an author and a propagator of phones of the wind, which she discusses today. Learn more at her website:

dinastander.com

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Dina’s life experiences led her to the varied work she is doing now
  • The need for specialized death resources for disabled people
  • Why Dina’s shroud-making services use “up-cycled” fabrics for shrouds
  • The history behind the Phone of the Wind
  • How Dina shares the Phone of the Wind with others
  • How to locate a Phone of the Wind near you
  • What type of phone is best to use
  • How the phone of the wind allows for expression of all emotions, including anger
  • Why a wind phone could be part of a compassionate community
  • The many settings that could benefit from the presence of a wind phone

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 Annie Valdez for buying me 5 coffees! Also many thanks to Thilda Zorn for joining the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 457 Creativity and Serious Illness with Christina Holbrook and Walker Vreeland

kwyattmd

Learn how two creators each facing serious illness came together to produce an award-winning masterpiece.

My guests Christina Holbrook and Walker Vreeland are joining me today to talk about their personal stories of serious illness and facing mortality in the midst of working on a creative project. Numerous synchronicities and little miracles came together to make possible the publication of Christina’s novel and audiobook All the Flowers of the Mountain after she was diagnosed with glioblastoma. Each of us has been inspired and transformed through the process of getting this book out into the world during a time of uncertainty. Learn more at these websites:

christinaholbrook.com

walkervreelandproductions.com

YouTube Channel

Get the book and audiobook

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Christina, Walker and I all came together to work on her novel and audiobook
  • How Christina and Walker are both facing their mortality every day
  • How creativity can help overcome the isolation of serious illness
  • Finding meaning for life by bringing a project to the world that will outlive us
  • Facing mortality forces us to think about what really matters in life
  • Why tragedy may be necessary in order to become death-aware
  • Making peace of mind more important than survival
  • Love finds a way, even against tremendous odds

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 Kris Kington-Barker. Also thank you to everyone who has donated through Paypal or bought me a coffee! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 456 Passages: An EOL Program for a Senior Living Community with Tom Waknitz

kwyattmd

Learn about a senior living community that is bringing end-of-life doula training to residents, thanks to the efforts of its chaplain.

My guest Tom Waknitz is a chaplain and end-of-life doula who is working with Walker Methodist Senior Living Community to establish a unique end-of-life program for residents called Passages. He is certified by INELDA and is currently earning a Master of Divinity Degree. After serving his first year as an end-of-life doula, Tom shares his innovative ideas for serving people and their families in transition at the end of life. Learn more about Passages and Tom’s coaching services at these websites:

walkermethodist.org

onemtl.org

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Tom’s journey from a career in technology to becoming a chaplain and end-of-life doula
  • Tom’s role as a chaplain and doula in a senior living community
  • Why Tom decided to bring INELDA training to the residents of this community and how it can serve as a model for others
  • The power of guided imagery and “familial stories”
  • Facilitating end-of-life conversations with residents and family members
  • What Tom learned in his first year as an end-of-life doula
  • The power of the intentional pause
  • Why changes in the end-of-life field must be sustainable

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. 455 Briefly Perfectly Human with Alua Arthur

kwyattmd

Learn about a powerful NY Times bestselling memoir that teaches how acknowledging our mortality helps us live a more authentic life.

My guest Alua Arthur is the founder of Going With Grace, a death doula training and end-of-life planning organization. She is a frequent guest on television and radio and has been featured on CBS’s The Doctors and in Disney’s Limitless docu-series with Chris Hemsworth. Alua is the author of the recently published NY Times bestseller Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real About the End. She shares her story of how she was inspired to learn more about death and teach others how to live fully in the face of our mortality. Learn more at Alua’s website:

goingwithgrace.com

Get the book here

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The value of authenticity in memoir-writing
  • How life prepares us for the work we are meant to do
  • How a single conversation shifted the path of Alua’s life
  • What inspired Alua to get training as a death doula
  • Creating better boundaries as we do this work with people at the end of life
  • Compassion allows us to honor another person’s journey without trying to control it
  • How death doula work can be financially viable
  • Why education of the public is an essential foundation for the work we are doing
  • How the “death-space” is welcoming to diverse people with a wide variety of skills

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 Sara Badano. Also thank you to Karen Shapiro for donating through Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 454 Empowered Endings: Changing the Landscape of End-of-Life Care with Bob Uslander MD

kwyattmd

Learn about an innovative model for compassionate end-of-life care that meets the needs of individuals and communities.

My guest Dr. Bob Uslander is the co-founder, with his wife Elizabeth, of Empowered Endings, a unique palliative and end-of-life care model addressing the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs of patients and families. He discusses the flexible model of care he created and how it functions to assist people who don’t qualify for hospice as well as those who are receiving hospice care but need additional services. Learn more at his website:

empoweredendings.com

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Dr. Bob’s journey from emergency medicine to hospice and palliative care
  • How recognizing gaps in the healthcare system inspired the work Dr. Bob is doing today
  • The importance of end-of-life doulas for restoring balance to the care that is offered to people
  • The types of patients served by Empowered Endings
  • How his team supports patients utilizing medical aid in dying
  • The lack of home-based palliative care is an issue in most communities
  • Concerns that some doctors may not offer adequate support to patients and families choosing medical aid in dying
  • How his foundation offers free bereavement support to families of loved ones who have utilized medical aid in 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 donor Beth. Also thank you to Marie Nelson and Laura Lee for donating through Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 451 Filling the Gaps in End-of-Life Care with Kaishauna Guidry MD

kwyattmd

Learn how a physician creatively meets the needs of patients who don’t qualify for hospice services.

My guest Dr. Kaishauna Guidry is an author, podcaster, healthcare advocate, mentor and educator. She came to medicine and hospice later in her career and founded Mourning Dove Medical as a private mobile medical practice, serving home-bound patients at the late stages of life and she is the author of The Real Deal About Hospice: Short Stories Highlighting the Advantages of Hospice Care for Patients and Families. She discusses her path to this work, her books and podcast, and how she coaches physicians who want to begin working with hospice. Learn more about her work at her website:

mourningdovemedical.com

Get the book here

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why Dr. G started a mobile medical practice
  • Why some patients get discharged from hospice
  • How Dr. G provides continuity of care for people who no longer qualify for hospice care
  • How she guides people who are “pre-hospice” to do advance care planning and to be prepared for hospice when the timing is right
  • How Dr. G educates physicians about working with hospice and palliative care
  • What the book The Real Deal About Hospice teaches patients and their families
  • Why we still need more education about hospice for the general public and the medical community
  • What is the “hospice lifestyle”

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 James Reinders, Karen, and Susan Wright. Also thank you to Frederick Marx for buying me a coffee! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 449 Open to Love: Senior Dating After Loss and Grief with Drs. Gloria Horsley and Frank Powers

kwyattmd

Learn about an informative and inspirational book to help seniors find love in their lives after experiencing loss through death or divorce.

My special guests this week, Drs. Gloria Horsley and Frank Powers, are a senior couple who met later in life, after experiencing loss. Gloria is a marriage and family therapist and Frank is a psychologist so between them they possess a lot of knowledge about grief, loss and relationships, including the deadly impact of loneliness on seniors in our society. Together they’ve written the book Open to Love: The Secrets of Senior Dating, which springs from their own experience of meeting and falling in love through a senior dating app. They share their tips and suggestions for seniors looking for love and facing the challenge of dating after a long-term relationship. Learn more at their websites:

opentohope.com

goldendatingdoctors.com

Get the book

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The value of senior dating for alleviating loneliness and isolation in later life
  • What seniors need to know about the current dating world
  • Tips for trying an online dating app for the first time
  • The most important qualities to look for in a later life partner
  • Advice for later life partners whose children are not supportive of their new relationship
  • How seniors in a new relationship might discuss difficult issues such as finances, caregiving expectations and end-of-life preparations
  • What senior couples should consider before deciding whether or not to marry

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 Leslie for buying me a coffee and 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. 445 Grief and Bereavement on the Hospice Journey with Barbara Karnes RN

kwyattmd

Learn about grief from the perspective of two hospice providers on their personal experiences of loss.

This week I’m happy to be speaking once again to my recurring guest Barbara Karnes RN, hospice nurse, author, thought leader and expert on end-of-life care and the dynamics of dying. Barbara is the author of “the little blue book” used by hospices around the world to teach families what to expect as their loved one dies. She is also the author of My Friend, I Care, a book about grief that she designed to be used as a sympathy card. She discusses the bereavement support that is a required benefit of hospice care and we delve deeply into our own grief experiences and what we learned from them. Learn more about Barbara’s work at her website:

bkbooks.com

Get the book here

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What hospices are required to provide for bereavement care
  • Why grievers may not attend bereavement groups offered by hospices
  • How hospice volunteers can be helpful with bereavement
  • Why some grievers may prefer more solitude and less interaction with others in the early days after a death
  • Learning how to live without a loved one who has died is the ongoing work of grief
  • The grief we learned about in textbooks is not the same as the real experience of deep grief
  • Why support groups may be more helpful later in the grief process
  • Anticipatory grief that occurs from the moment of diagnosis
  • Journaling as a tool for grieving
  • How our grief experiences can be sacred to us

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 Jenny and Kristine. Also thank you to Jean for buying me a coffee and 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. 442 When You Die Project: Raising Death Awareness with Johanna Lunn

kwyattmd

Learn about a trilogy of documentary films that inform and inspire conversations about death, dying and the afterlife.

My guest Johanna Lunn is an award-winning producer, director, and writer, who has crafted many compelling, entertaining, and profoundly thought-provoking programs during her 20+ years in the business. She is the director and producer of the When You Die Documentary Trilogy. Johanna discusses how she founded WhenYouDie.org to foster awareness about death by curating many voices to share their stories–from palliative care clinicians, death doulas and the bereaved, to poets, comedians, and artists. Learn more at the website:

whenyoudie.org

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What inspired Johanna to create this series of films
  • How she gathered the speakers she interviewed for each film
  • Why we need to look ahead to create something new rather than relying on what has worked in the past
  • The need for both a “curing team” and a “healing team”
  • What Johanna has learned about death, dying and the afterlife from creating the When You Die Project
  • Who can benefit from these films and her long term goals for them
  • How to watch and share these three documentaries with others

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 Jane Whitlock, Robin Mallor, Carla Wheeler, and 4Brigid.  Also thank you to Dana Tuttle for buying me 3 coffees and Lisa Creeden for joining 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

Listen here:

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. 435 Home Funerals as an Option After Death with Jerrigrace Lyons

kwyattmd

Learn how to create a home funeral ceremony that can honor and celebrate the life of a loved one.

My guest for this interview from the archives is Jerrigrace Lyons, founder of Final Passages, where she offers training for death doulas and home funeral guides. She shares the beauty of a home funeral and describes step-by-step how to honor a loved one with a private, intimate ceremony after death. Learn more at her website:

www.finalpassages.org

Hear the original interview and see the slides at this link: https://InstantTeleseminar.com/Events/89192217

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How the home funeral movement is changing our societal perception of death and after-death care
  • Why home funerals are powerful
  • The beautiful rituals that can be created economically for a home funeral
  • How to go about creating a home funeral

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. 428 Love and Loss as a Caregiver Dealing with Lewy Body Dementia with Mary Lou Falcone

kwyattmd

Learn about Lewy Body Dementia, why it is difficult to diagnose, and the special challenges faced by caregivers.

My guest Mary Lou Falcone has been an advocate for Lewy body dementia awareness since her dear husband Nicky Zann died of the disease in 2020. Mary Lou is internationally known as a classical music publicist who has guided the careers of many celebrated artists such as Van Cliburn, Renée Fleming, and James Taylor. Her communication and strategy skills make her well-suited to be an ambassador for LBD awareness and she is committed to sharing her experience and factual information about LBD with the public. She is the author of the newly published book I Didn’t See it Coming: Scenes of Love, Loss, and Lewy Body Dementia. Learn more at her website:

www.maryloufalcone.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why Mary Lou decided to become a crusader for LBD awareness
  • The difference between Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia
  • The symptoms of LBD and why it is often difficult to diagnose
  • The inspiration for writing this book
  • Why LBD is little known by the general population
  • How to cope as a caregiver with the fluctuating symptoms of LBD
  • Survival strategies for LBD caregivers
  • Helpful resources available for caregivers

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 Trina Wacasey and Samantha Potter and to Dianne Feltham for increasing your pledge.  Also thank you to Anonymous for buying me 3 coffees and to Carol Soppe and Samantha Potter for joining the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 417 Dignity Day: A Guidebook for Medical Aid in Dying with Gabrielle Elise Jimenez

kwyattmd

Learn about a helpful guidebook to provide information and dispel fear around medical aid in dying.

My guest Gabrielle Elise Jimenez is a hospice nurse, an end-of-life doula, and a conscious dying educator. She is the author of 6 books and the host of The Hospice Heart Facebook group, which now has 140,000 members. We discuss her latest book Dignity Day, an informational guide for people who are considering or want to learn more about medical aid in dying, based on Gabby’s experiences with patients who have chosen this option in her home state of California. Learn more about Gabby’s work and join her Facebook group at the following links:

www.thehospiceheart.net

fb.com/thehospiceheart.net

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why Gabby chose “Dignity Day” as a title for the book
  • The general requirements for using MAID in states where it is legal
  • What patients and their families should expect when they consult medical providers about MAID
  • How a hospice nurse or end-of-life doula can support a patient going through this process
  • The preparations needed before the medication is ingested
  • What it looks like when a person dies using MAID and how to prepare patients and loved ones for that
  • How to talk to loved ones who don’t support a patient’s decision to use MAID

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 Lorene Reyes, David Easton, Ed Modell, and thanks to Joan Roellchen-Pfohl for upping your pledge! Also many thanks to Dan and Judy Dickinson for buying some coffees and 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. 413 Death in the E.R. and the Failures of Modern Medicine with Drew Remignanti MD

kwyattmd

Learn about current issues in healthcare that are impacting the quality of care received at the end of life.

My guest Dr. Drew Remignanti is an emergency medicine physician who has lived with chronic illness since being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the age of 19. He suffered a major stroke at the age of 38 that sidetracked his career for five years but inspired him to write the book The Healing Connection: A Partnership for Your Health, which explores how dollar-driven motives wield too much influence over our medical decisions, including at the end of life. To learn more about the book follow Dr. Remignanti on Facebook:

Follow on Facebook

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What happens when people show up at the ER without an advance directive
  • Why the default emergency care is “do everything”
  • What is “slow medicine” and how are current forces in the healthcare system working against it
  • Why patients and providers need to work together to make the changes we need
  • When people know and trust their physician they are far more likely to create an advance care plan for their health and follow it
  • Studies show it takes only 40 seconds of compassion in a medical encounter to make a significant difference
  • The “commoditization” of healthcare and the problems it causes
  • The US has an 88% rate of healthcare illiteracy, meaning people do not know how to acquire or apply information about their health

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 Carole Heaney! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

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

kwyattmd

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

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

www.francescalynnarnoldy.com

www.contemplativedoula.com

Get the workbook here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

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

Links mentioned in this episode:

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

EOLPodcast

Ep. 403 Death Over Drafts: Meeting People Where They Are with Stefanie Elkins

kwyattmd

Learn about creating opportunities in your community for conversations about death.

My guest Stefanie Elkins is a Family Caregiver Consultant, end-of-life doula, founder of Be Present Care, and the creator of Death Over Drafts, a community event held at breweries across the country to spark meaningful conversations around death and dying. She’ll share her experience bringing end-of-life conversations to community spaces where people naturally gather and how we can make a difference in someone’s end-of-life journey by helping them talk about death and grief. Learn more about Stefanie’s work at her website:

www.bepresentcare.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Stefanie helps patients and families at the end of life
  • What inspired Death Over Drafts
  • Who attends Death Over Drafts and examples of the conversations that have taken place
  • Why conversations about death are important
  • Why we need to meet people where they are and bring death education to various venues and spaces
  • How to bring Death Over Drafts to your own community
  • Why end-of-life workers need to do their own work planning for the end of life
  • How families can support the aging and prepare for the inevitable

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 Phyllis Wintter and to Don Zacharias for making a Paypal donation! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 400 The Value of Death: The Lancet Commission Report with Dr. Libby Sallnow

kwyattmd

Learn about the important recent report from the Lancet Commission in the UK on the value of death and what each of us needs to do to help bring death back into life.

My guest Dr. Libby Sallnow is a palliative medicine consultant and honorary senior lecturer at St. Christopher’s Hospice and the UCL Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, UK. She is also the co-author of The Lancet Commission Report on the Value of Death: Bringing Death Back Into Life. In addition her PhD explored the translation of a model of compassionate communities from Kerala, India to London, UK. She discusses the creation of the report on The Value of Death and its key takeaways that can form a roadmap for the reform and rebalancing of death and dying in our societies. Learn more about her work at the website:

www.ucl.ac.uk/health-of-public/news-and-events/spotlight/spotlight-dr-libby-sallnow

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What inspired Libby’s interest in end-of-life care
  • The Lancet Commission on the Value of Death and what lead to their recent report
  • Why we need to rebalance death and dying
  • The “5 principles of a realistic utopia” as described in the report
  • Why we need to focus on death literacy first as we try to improve end-of-life care in our societies
  • The compassionate communities approach (to be covered in a future episode)

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 patrons Jeff Black and Lindsay Compton, and to Brittany Ellis for your donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 396 The Chrysalis™ Room: Transforming Death in the Nursing Home with Loretta Downs

kwyattmd

Learn about a mission to transform care for dying patients and their loved ones in nursing homes.

My guest Loretta Downs is a Certified End-of-Life Care Practitioner and holds a Masters Degree in Gerontology. She founded Chrysalis End-of-Life Inspirations to advocate for the creation of private rooms in nursing homes and hospitals where families and friends can keep vigil with a loved one who is dying. She’ll discuss her project and share some of the stories that have inspired her work. (NOTE: This is an archived interview from the days before I acquired a professional microphone, so the sound quality is less than desired, but the content is excellent!) Learn more at Loretta’s website:

www.endoflifeinspirations.com

Listen on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Loretta became interested in working with the dying
  • What is a “Chrysalis Room”
  • How Loretta conceived of the idea of a separate room for the dying in nursing homes
  • How the Chrysalis Room has benefitted both the patients and the staffs of long-term care facilities
  • What it takes to create a Chrysalis Room
  • How to advocate with a facility to change the way they care for 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 Marian Head and Jaime Corbin, and to Lynn Mytroen for buying me a coffee! Your contributions make all the difference.