Tag: hospice

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Ep. 429 Debunking Myths About Hospice Care with Barbara Karnes RN

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Learn how to bust through several common myths about hospice care that persist in our society.

My recurring guest Barbara Karnes RN is back again in this episode to talk about the myths that still persist in our society around hospice care. She shares her own journey of grief after the recent death of her dear husband and how our emotions can change our ability to see what may be right in front of us. We cover the most common myths we’ve encountered from our years of talking about hospice with the general public and what we can do to overcome them. Barbara is the author of the “little blue hospice book” Gone from My Sight and By Your Side: A Guide for Caring for the Dying at Home. Learn more at her website:

www.bkbooks.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

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This episode includes:

  • How emotions can impact our experiences with hospice
  • Myths about hospice that involve medication management and fears of over-medicating pain
  • Myths that some doctors have about hospice including that it causes people to lose hope and that it’s only appropriate a few hours or days before death
  • Myths about what hospice is, where it is located and how care is provided and paid for
  • Why myths like these are harmful to patients
  • Why we need to get a clear message across about the benefits of hospice

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.

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

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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

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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.

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Ep. 424 Implicit Bias in End-of-Life Care with Kimberly Curseen MD

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Learn why cultural humility and awareness of hidden bias are essential in reducing racial disparities in care at the end of life.

My guest Dr. Kimberly Curseen is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Care. She is the director of Supportive and Palliative Care Outpatient Services for Emory Healthcare and helps provide physical, emotional, and spiritual care for patients with cancer at any point in their disease process. She has helped educate physicians on implicit bias in healthcare and has written research articles for the Journal of Palliative Medicine and the Journal of Pain Symptom Management on structural racism and bias in palliative care. We discuss specific issues leading to racial inequities in healthcare and what we need to do to make changes and improve care at the end of life. Learn more about Dr. Curseen’s work:

med.emory.edu

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This episode includes:

  • How Dr. Curseen became interested in hospice and palliative medicine
  • What is “implicit bias” and how we can recognize it
  • Her work in rural Arkansas to educate community members and healthcare providers on implicit bias
  • Why we need “cultural humility” along with cultural competency training
  • How implicit stereotypes and biases contribute to racial inequities in healthcare
  • The current problem of racial disparities in pain management
  • Why improving racial disparities in advance care planning and hospice utilization must begin with our own personal work on hidden biases
  • How end-of-life care providers can develop cultural humility and a person-centered approach in their work
  • Why we need to change what we offer in end-of-life care to fit the patients that need care, rather than trying to force patients to fit into our existing model

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 Lacy Buynak and Grace Lawrence and to Robin Blanche and Sandy Jane Stacy for increasing your pledge.Thank you to my newest donors on PayPal Erin Collins, Debora Schauss, Kathleen Lynch, and Janice Wildrick! Also many thanks to Ann Hyland and Jerry for buying me coffees! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 420 Providing Comfort During the Last Days of Life with Barbara Karnes RN

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Learn useful tips for helping patients and loved ones be more comfortable at the very end of life – small changes can make a big difference.

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. We discuss tips for caregivers to provide comfort to patients during the last days and hours of life when they may not be able to communicate their needs. There are dozens of “little things” that can make a big difference in the comfort level of our loved ones and patients and you’ll learn about them in this conversation. Learn more about Barbara’s work and books at her website:

www.bkbooks.com

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This episode includes:

  • Why grooming and hygiene matter for patients all the way through the end of life
  • Tips for good mouth and lip care
  • Preserving patient dignity by honoring their routines
  • Preventing skin breakdown
  • Importance of positioning and turning patients for maximum comfort
  • Dealing with breathing issues and “death rattle”
  • An alternative to adult diapers
  • Options for administering medications sublingually, rectally or as a skin cream

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 Michelle Sandner and to  Amrita for buying 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.

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Ep. 419 Humane Prison Hospice Project with Lisa Deal RN and Fernando Murillo

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Learn about a remarkable program that trains incarcerated people in palliative and hospice care skills so they can provide care for their peers in correctional facilities.

My two special guests this week work with the Humane Prison Hospice Project: Lisa Deal is the Executive Director, who previously worked for Mission Hospice and Home Care in California. Fernando Murillo is the Program Manager for the Palliative Care Initiative at the Humane Prison Hospice Project where he trains incarcerated people to provide palliative and hospice care for their aging and dying peers. Fernando shares the story of committing himself to improving the overall quality of life in the correctional setting during his own 24 years of incarceration. Together we discuss the need for hospice and palliative care in prisons and how this project is meeting that need and hoping to expand in the future. Learn more at the website:

www.humaneprisonhospiceproject.org

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This episode includes:

  • How the Humane Prison Hospice Project got started
  • How Lisa became interested in the idea of prison hospice
  • Fernando’s journey from incarceration to now providing training in palliative and hospice care skills to others who are incarcerated
  • Why palliative and hospice care is desperately needed right now in prisons in the U.S.
  • How incarcerated people benefit from receiving training to become caregivers for their fellow residents
  • How the entire prison, including staff, benefits from the presence of the Humane Prison Hospice Project
  • How to get similar projects started in other prisons across the country
  • What hospice workers need to know before volunteering to teach in a correctional setting

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 Cathy Duke, Laurie Kurs, and Kelly Oberle! 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.

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Ep. 418 Self-Care Series: How to be More Present with Patients at the End of Life with Karen Wyatt MD

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Today is “Self-Care Monday” and I’ll be taking a little time off to have cataract surgery. In this brief audio recording you will learn three simple steps for being in the present moment with a patient that can help you feel more focused and less stressed. I hope you’ll take time for some self-care too as you work to help others experience a better end of life and prepare for your own future path. See you next week for a regular episode where I’ll share a new interview!

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

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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

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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.

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Ep. 415 End-of-Life Care for Children and Their Families with Toula Saratsis

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Learn how a grieving mother has been called to offer palliative, end-of-life, and after death care to children and their families.

My guest Toula Saratsis is a certified end-of-life doula who specializes in prenatal and pediatric palliative, end-of-life, and after death care support. She shares her poignant story of being called to this work after the death of her daughter Angelica from a life limiting condition. Toula’s work and wisdom are remarkable in a field of care that many find too painful and heartbreaking to pursue. She shows us that grief is a powerful transformer and creator of good in the world. Connect with Toula:

toulasaratsis@gmail.com Facebook:  Toula Saratsis Instagram:  @toula_saratsis

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This episode includes:

  • Toula and Angelica’s story
  • How Toula managed to cope with devastating loss and grief
  • Why Toula felt well-suited to provide palliative and end-of-life care to children after facing death on a daily basis
  • How to inspire more end-of-life care providers to work with children even through their discomfort
  • How Toula advocates for patients and families within the healthcare system
  • The need for palliative and end-of-life care for perinatal death
  • How to talk to a child with a life-limiting condition about death
  • The importance of a home funeral after a child dies
  • Self-care while doing this 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, especially my newest donor Nadili, thanks to Kim Adams for upping your pledge, Kristin Kennell for your Paypal donation, and to Kathleen Vallee Stein for buying me 10 coffees! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 412 Dealing with Anger at the End of Life with Barbara Karnes RN

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Learn some skills and tools for managing anger when it arises at end of life for patients, families and even co-workers.

I’m welcoming back my recurring guest Barbara Karnes, hospice nurse and internationally recognized author, speaker, thought leader and expert on end-of-life care and the dynamics of dying. Today we discuss the issue of anger, which often arises when people are facing the end of life, whether their own or that of a loved one. Barbara shares some strategies for dealing with anger and helping patients and their loved ones find peace in the last days of life. Learn more about Barbara’s books and her work at her website:

www.bkbooks.com

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This episode includes:

  • The prevalence of anger for patients at the end of life
  • How to help patients verbalize their anger without judging or reacting to it
  • Why families may need to project their anger onto the hospice staff
  • How to talk about anger with family members and help them create a sacred experience for their loved one
  • The importance of being heard and understood when we are emotional
  • Why we need to leave behind our own agenda as care providers in order to truly listen to patients and family members
  • Caregivers may feel shame over the anger they feel and have difficulty talking about it
  • How to manage anger between staff members in hospice
  • Why hospice work is a great opportunity to learn more about ourselves and grow

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 Mark Langlois and Alison Greene for buying me coffees! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

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Ep. 404 Advice for Future Corpses and Those Who Love Them with Sallie Tisdale

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Learn how a Buddhist approach to death and dying can help us come to terms with our mortality.

My guest Sallie Tisdale is a nurse and the author of ten books, including Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them.) She has worked as a registered nurse and taught at Reed College, Northwestern University, and New York University. A largely self-taught writer on health and medical issues, Tisdale has contributed to the Antioch Review, Tricycle, Harper’s Magazine, and the New Yorker. She shares what inspired her to write about death and dying and what she hopes people will take away from her book. Learn more at her website:

www.sallietisdale.com

Get the book here

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This episode includes:

  • How Sallie has balanced dual careers as a nurse and writer
  • Sallie’s current work as a nurse and a trainer for caregivers
  • How the Buddhist approach to death and dying has been a lens for Sallie in her work
  • The importance of bringing joy into death and dying
  • How grief can help us feel connected to everyone on the planet
  • How death is “brand new” every time we encounter it and the importance of beginner’s mind
  • Advice for people going to visit a dying person
  • Why our efforts to increase advance care planning may be failing
  • How to help people make choices about pain management and level of sedation
  • What people need to understand about hospice care at home

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 Kitty Edwards! Your contributions make all the difference.

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Ep. 402 Grief After a Suicide Death: My Personal Story with Karen Wyatt MD

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Learn the story of my journey with grief after my father’s death by suicide and how it may differ from other grief experiences.

In this solo episode I share the story of my own grief experience after my father died by suicide 34 years ago. This is an ongoing journey that has shifted and changed over the years, teaching me a great deal about life, death and grief. The week this episode airs is the anniversary of Dad’s death, so I’m currently processing it once again and thought I would share the story with you. Hopefully this will be helpful to others who are dealing with grief after suicide or trying to help someone who is grieving. I want to decrease the stigma and shame that surround suicide so that we can get better about asking for, receiving, and giving help to those who are suffering. (Note: There are slides that accompany this talk if you watch on YouTube.)

Get my book 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying

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This episode includes:

  • The shock and numbness of my first year of grief
  • What I needed from others during my early grieving process
  • Why I couldn’t talk about my father’s death for a long time
  • How hospice opened me to finally begin embracing my grief
  • Why allowing myself to feel anger was difficult but pivotal in my grief process
  • Why it didn’t really matter what other people said to me during my grief experience
  • Why I have compassion for people who couldn’t be there for me
  • How I used rituals and travel to help me with my grief
  • The devastating guilt that accompanies grief after suicide
  • How my grief has changed over the years

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 Mark and Cheri McClure for buying me 5 coffees! Your contributions make all the difference.

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Ep. 401 End-of-Life Visions and Other Experiences with Barbara Karnes RN

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Learn about “non-ordinary” end-of-life experiences like deathbed visions and why they are a gift to patients and their loved ones.

This week I’m welcoming back my recurring guest Barbara Karnes RN, hospice nurse and international speaker and educator. She is also the author of the “little blue hospice book” Gone from My Sight and the recent book for caregivers, By Your Side. Barbara and I discuss common phenomena that occur during the last days of life that can be upsetting to families if they don’t understand what’s happening. As usual we share lots of stories and experiences along with our own approach to handling these situations. Learn more about Barbara’s work at her website:

www.bkbooks.com

Watch on YouTube

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This episode includes:

  • The frequency of unexplained phenomena at the end of life
  • What it’s like when a patient experiences a deathbed vision
  • The symbolic language that patients may use prior to death
  • What is terminal lucidity and how to help loved ones understand what is happening
  • How to respond to patients and caregivers when deathbed phenomena occur
  • Why it’s important to validate and normalize these experiences
  • Why we should avoid interjecting our own beliefs and interpretations about these events
  • How to help loved ones find the gift in these experiences rather than be afraid of them

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 patron Stefanie Elkins! Your contributions make all the difference.

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Ep. 397 Talking About Death with ChatGPT

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Learn how the AI language model ChatGPT can be used as a resource for information about death and dying and when caution is required.

My special “guest” this week is ChatGPT an AI language model that can understand and respond to human language. Chat has been trained on a wide range of topics, including end-of-life care, hospice, palliative care, grief and bereavement, and advance care planning, among others. I conducted a written “interview” with Chat to test its knowledge and in this episode I report on my findings. In addition, I’ve compiled all of our correspondence into a book titled Conversations on Death with ChatGPT, which you can access now in ebook format. I hope you enjoy hearing about my adventures with Chat!

Get the book

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This episode includes:

  • What an AI language model consists of and how to interact with it
  • The amazing depth and breadth of content and resources that ChatGPT was able to generate in a matter of seconds
  • What I learned about euphemisms for death from Chat
  • What Chat got wrong about for-profit hospice
  • How Chat needed better information about talking to children about death
  • Chat’s creative ideas for promoting advance care planning in predominantly Black communities
  • Chat’s thoughts about the 5-stages model of grief
  • A haiku Chat wrote about grief
  • How Chat helped me deal with guilt over my father’s suicide 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 patrons Susan Mackey and Colleen Bracken, and to Laura Srygley for buying me a coffee and Fabricio Vasconcelos de Lima for donating on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference.

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

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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

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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.

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Ep. 391 Dying in America: A Journalist’s Exploration with Ann Neumann

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Learn about this journalist’s research into “the good death” and what she learned through seven years of study and travel across the U.S.

My guest Ann Neumann is a journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Harper’s magazine, The Baffler, Guernica magazine, and elsewhere. After caring for her father at his end of life she became a hospice volunteer and began to research the meaning of a “good death” in this country, which led to her book The Good Death: An Exploration of Dying in America. She shares some of the things she learned about death as she traveled the country and listened to opinions, beliefs, and stories about what constitutes a good death. Learn more at her website:

www.annneumann.wordpress.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

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This episode includes:

  • How Ann’s experience caring for her father at the end of his life inspired her research for the book
  • How Ann and her family felt unprepared for the actual dying process even though they were receiving care from hospice
  • How the “gentle” marketing of hospice and death care services can obscure the reality of the challenges of dying
  • The tragedy of “false hope” being offered to patients rather than factual information
  • Where Ann found inspiration for each of the topics she covered in the book (e.g. medical aid in dying, pro-life movement, religious influence on dying, disability issues, prison hospice)
  • Why “dignity” can mean something different to people who live with disabilities
  • The extensive work needed to overcome racial disparities in end-of-life care and restore trust

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 Jason P. and thank you also the anonymous person who bought me 5 coffees! Your contributions make all the difference.

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Ep. 387 How to Save Hospice with Ira Byock MD

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Learn about some positive steps that are needed to heal the current hospice industry in the U.S. and how your story can make a difference.

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 Dying Well, The Four Things That Matter Most, and The Best Care Possible. We discuss his recent essay pinion piece published in STAT online: “Hospice Care Needs Saving,” which is a response to the November Propublica/New Yorker article How the Visionary Hospice Movement Became a For-Profit Hustle. Learn more at his website:

www.irabyock.org

Read the STAT article

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This episode includes:

  • Our reactions to the Propublica article
  • What the article got right about today’s hospice and why we need to take it seriously
  • What the hospice movement needs to work on to improve care for patients and rebuild trust with the public
  • Why internal “self-correction” is more important now for the hospice industry than expecting Congress to make changes
  • Why over-focus on profit is dangerous for the hospice movement
  • Why transparency, strengthened oversight, and legal accountability are important steps for saving hospice
  • How stories about current hospice care can be helpful as we move forward

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 Sara Perry! Your contributions make all the difference.

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Ep. 382 Dear Death: Finding Meaning in Life and Peace in Death with Diane Button

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Learn how to create a meaningful life and prepare for death with tools to help death doulas, hospice staff, and loved ones navigate the end of life.

My guest Diane Button is a founding partner of the Bay Area End-of-Life Doula Alliance in Northern California and an instructor for the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine End-of-Life Doula Professional Certificate Program. She is also the author of Dear Death: Finding Meaning in Life, Peace in Death and Joy in an Ordinary Day and she shares insights she gathered from research she did for her masters degree and from working with hospice and doula clients over the past decade. Learn more at the website:

www.dianebutton.com

Get the book here

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This episode includes:

  • What led Diane to become a death doula
  • The inspiration behind Dear Death
  • The 4 pillars of a meaningful life and how Diane gathered this information
  • Why legacy projects are important and how to create one
  • What does it take to have a “good death”
  • Why Diane created The Doula’s Final Checklist
  • The “Mint Jelly” exercise for talking about death
  • Where to get Dear Death and the companion workbook

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 Lyn Canale and Donelle Dreese and thank you Joy for increasing your pledge! Your contributions make all the difference.

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Ep. 381 Hospice Help Foundation: Supporting Patients in Need with Marsha Filion

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Learn about a charitable foundation that helps hospice patients with the simple needs of life to bring them dignity and comfort.

My guest Marsha Filion is the Executive Director of Hospice Help Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization that provides financial assistance to hospice patients in need. After training as a hospice volunteer she joined the foundation to help bring dignity and comfort to people at the end of life. She will discuss how Hospice Help Foundation functions and why many hospice patients require additional support for services not provided by Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance. Learn more at the website:

www.hhelpfoundation.org

Watch on YouTube

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This episode includes:

  • Why Marsha was drawn to work as a volunteer in hospice
  • How Hospice Help Foundation began and what it does
  • The types of support offered by the foundation
  • Why additional support is necessary and important for many hospice patients
  • How patients apply for help from the foundation and who is eligible
  • Stories of people who have benefitted from the support of the foundation

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 Bob Hoffman for increasing your pledge and thanks to Ed Modell for your donation through PayPal! Your contributions make all the difference.

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Ep. 380 Heartwood: The Cycle of Life and Loss with Barbara Becker

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Learn about a beautiful new book that explores how death teaches us, through many varied experiences of loss, how to truly live.

My guest Barbara Becker is an interfaith minister and a strategic communications consultant specializing in strengthening the voice of the non-profit community, working with the United Nations, Human Rights First, the Ms. Foundation for Women, and the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh. She is also the author of the book Heartwood: The Art of Living with the End in Mind and she shares the important lessons she has learned from death and loss throughout her life. Learn more about her work at the website:

www.barbarabecker.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

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This episode includes:

  • What inspired Barbara to become an interfaith minister and to volunteer in hospice
  • How her work in hospice informed her own feelings about death
  • What is “heartwood” and why it is a fitting title for the book
  • How Barbara turned to her own book for guidance when she faced a health crisis of her own
  • The one question we should ask ourselves to live a more purposeful life
  • What we can learn about coping with death and grief from religious traditions outside of our own
  • Advice to help family caregivers cope with caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s
  • How to cope with the first holiday season while grieving the death of a loved one

Links mentioned in this episode:

EOLPodcast

Ep. 376 Creating a Sacred Space at the Moment of Death with Barbara Karnes, RN

kwyattmd

Learn some simple steps to honor the sacredness of the moments before and after death.

My favorite guest Barbara Karnes, RN is back for another episode where we talk about issues in hospice care. Barbara is an internationally recognized speaker and expert on end-of-life care. She is author of the popular booklet Gone from My Sight and By Your Side: A Guide for Caring for the Dying at Home, among others. Today Barbara shares some fantastic tips for how to help a family create a sacred space for the moment of their loved one’s death and just after. We discuss what hospice providers, death doulas, or family members can do to enhance meaning and reverence as the last breath is taken. These simple reminders are important to make sure that we don’t overlook this brief moment-in-time that is filled with so much significance and grace. Learn more about Barbara’s work at her website:

www.bkbooks.com

Get By Your Side here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What to do in the hours before a death
  • How to be a “conductor” for this final moment of life
  • Why each family member should be encouraged to say a private goodbye
  • How to prepare the body immediately after death
  • How to arrange the room immediately after a death
  • When to call the funeral home
  • What to do after the body is removed
  • How to talk about the benefits of having a visitation
  • How to help family members, including children, write letters or draw pictures to leave with loved one at the funeral
  • How to create sacred space in a hospital room or ICU

Links mentioned in this episode: