Tag: legacy

EOLPodcast

Ep. 517 Lessons the Dying Teach Us About Living with Diane Button

kwyattmd

Learn about a heartwarming book of end-of-life teaching stories about the “little things” that make life meaningful.

My guest Diane Button is an end-of-life doula, a founding partner of the Bay Area End-of-Life Doula Alliance in Northern California, and an instructor for the University of Vermont’s End-of-Life Doula Professional Certificate Program. She has been a NEDA board member and a hospice volunteer and is the author of the newly published book What Matters Most: Lessons the Dying Teach Us About Living. She discusses the book and the importance of storytelling and legacy projects. Learn more at her website:

dianebutton.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What inspired Diane to write this book
  • Why storytelling is important as we help our society become more death aware
  • The Joy Counter and other stories from the book
  • The value of “the little things” of life to help us create meaning
  • Why legacy projects are helpful as we approach the end of life
  • How Diane helps people create their own legacy projects
  • What is the “Final Checklist”
  • Who can benefit from reading this book
  • How this work has impacted Diane’s life

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu and thank you to everyone who bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

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

kwyattmd

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

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

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

theashrose.org

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

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

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

Ian Mccartor

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, and to Barbara Walker for donating on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 431 “No Story Lost”: Preserving Meaning and Memories with Andrew Hall

kwyattmd

Learn about a service to create a beautiful “coffee table book” to preserve the cherished stories of a loved one.

My guest Andrew Hall is the co-founder of “No Story Lost” – a service to help families capture their loved one’s stories and photos into a beautiful print memoir book. He’ll discuss the value of preserving memories, both before and after death, and how he and his cousin decided to create a business helping people do that. Learn more at the website:

https://nostorylost.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How No Story Lost gathers and preserves stories for their clients
  • Why our stories and memories matter when we want to leave a legacy for others
  • How memorial projects have benefitted families as they grieve the death of a loved one
  • The significance of “memento mori” and how it informs Andrew’s work
  • How legacy and memorial projects help people find meaning at the end of life
  • How transformation and healing might occur through the process of creating a memorial book

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 supporter Akhila Murphy and to those who’ve bought me a coffee! Also many thanks to all of you who joined the $10 for 10 Years Campaign including Stacy Ann Bussy! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 388 A Song for You: Personalized Songs for Hospice Patients with Emily Cavanagh

kwyattmd

Learn about an initiative to provide hospice patients with songs written specifically for them about their lives and stories.

My guest Emily Cavanagh is a singer/songwriter based in New York City who performs in places like New York, Chicago and Dublin. She has made a career for herself as a singer at the intersection of music and service as she brings music to marginalized communities. She is the founder of the music initiative A Song for You, which features local, touring, and Grammy Award-winning songwriters who compose and perform original personalized songs for hospice patients and their families. She will discuss the inspiration behind A Song for You and how this work has benefitted both the recipients and the creators of these special songs. Learn more at her websites:

www.emilycavanaghmusic.com

www.hereisasongforyou.org

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Emily got started in social work, activism and music
  • What inspired her to create A Song for You
  • The first song Emily wrote for a patient
  • How she writes songs for total strangers
  • How A Song for You has grown over time
  • The process for applying to have a song written for someone
  • How patients, families and songwriters have benefitted from sharing this special music
  • How to support A Song for You and its mission

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 Lucy Karl and Amrita Dhanji, and also to Karen Friedmann for buying me a coffee! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 289 Echobox: Preserving the Story of Our Lives with Tim Roberts

kwyattmd

Learn about an innovative new app for storing and sharing image and stories of our lives and those of our loved ones.

My guest Tim Roberts is an artist, musician, app developer, idea our and dreamer who lives in Calgary Canada. He created the digital legacy project Echobox Memory Vault™ and worked with a developer to turn it into an app. Today he will tell us how the app works and why it’s important for us to save and share our memories as stories and images for our loved ones. Learn more about Echobox Memory Vault™ at the website:

https://echobox.ca

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Tim was inspired to create Echobox
  • Who can benefit from using Echobox and how it works
  • How privacy and security are maintained in the Echobox app, unlike many social media sites
  • Why it can be helpful to preserve memories digitally
  • The importance of stories to help us makes sense of the past and inspire future generations
  • The positive response of the healthcare world for Echobox
  • How Echobox helps connect people who can’t be together because of COVID
  • How Echobox can help with grief and bereavement

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 supporter Carrie Andrews! Your contributions make all the difference!

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 213 Making Sense of Death by Planning Ahead with Reena Lazar and Michelle Pante

kwyattmd

Learn about educational planning tools that are available for end-of-life navigators and teachers to use with their clients.

PodcastLazarPante2

This week I welcome back to the podcast Reena Lazar and Michelle Pante of WillowEOL.com who will tell us about the free tools they offer to assist with end-of-life planning and a new workbook they have created (available to purchase). We will also discuss the importance of end-of-life planning and sharing our wishes with our loved ones. Learn more at their website:

www.WillowEOL.com

Listen here:

 

This episode includes:

  • Why people should think in advance about the legacy they will leave behind
  • How to create a meaningful legacy for your loved ones
  • What steps baby boomers need to take now to be better prepared for the end of life
  • 9 things to include in an end-of-life plan
  • Free tools for planning ahead available at WillowEol.com
  • A helpful end-of-life planning workbook available for teachers and navigators to use with their clients
  • How to work with Reena and Michelle at a retreat, workshop or speaking event

Your mortality is an opportunity in disguise.

-WillowEOL.com

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 my new supporter Kathy Breakwell, your contribution means  everything to me!

 

Aging, End of Life, EOLPodcast, Grief

Ep. 57 September End-of-Month Update and film Extremis

kwyattmd

 

In today’s episode Dr. Wyatt thanks 3 new supporters on Patreon.com/eolu:

  • Joan Roellchen-Pfohl, RN
  • Martha Johnson – author of the upcoming book “Take Charge of the Rest of Your Life”; learn more at www.meetmarthajohnson.com
  • Marggie Hatala – author and teacher of a writing class related to end of life; her books are “Sally: A Memoir” and the forthcoming “Life as Prayer”; learn more at www.marggiehatala.com

Next she begins the Update for September by talking about the new documentary film currently streaming on Neflix: Extremis, which won 1st place at the Tribeca Film Festival. Please see this film which takes place in the ICU at Highland Hospital in Oakland and features Dr. Jessica Nutik Zitter. This is a must-see film that brilliantly depicts the conundrum that exists at the end of life when painful decisions must be made. By showing the real-life conversations that take place in the ICU between staff, family members and patients, a case is made for everyone to complete their advance directives and prepare their loved ones to honor their wishes at the end of life. But the painful process of decision-making becomes apparent as each individual struggles with the unknown and the unknowable in these dire situations.

The other topics covered this month include:

  • BMJ Online report that patients who receive hospice care for the last 6 months of life have better pain control, fewer hospital days, and are less likely to die in the hospital or ICU.
  • Researchers at John Hopkins found that their palliative care program led to  savings of ~ $19 million over 5 years in addition to improved quality of care and patient satisfaction.
  • Study originally published in Health Affairs and reported on Reuters online showed gaps in palliative care in the US. Read the article.
  • “What it feels like to die,” an article in The Atlantic discusses the active dying process from the patient’s perspective. Read the article.
  • Friends and Family Letter Project by Dr. VJ Periyakoil at Stanford includes 7 prompts for letter writers to leave messages for their loved ones. Read the article.
  • “7 Songs for a Long Life” documentary from Scotland that depicts how terminally ill patients use singing as therapy. Read the article.
  • The Friendly Atheist Julie Stahl reminds us not to impose our own religious or spiritual beliefs on those who are grieving and may not share your perspective. Read her blog.

Thanks for tuning in to the podcast! I hope you enjoy this information. If you feel inspired to offer a little support go to Patreon.com/eolu to join the community!

Until next week remember:

Face Your Fears.               BE Ready.               Love Your Life!!!

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 39 Why It’s Important to Think About Death with Karen Wyatt MD

kwyattmd

In this episode Dr. Wyatt shares her thoughts about why each of us should think and talk about death long before we are dying. But before that she discusses her recent speaking tour with presentations at the Afterlife Awareness Conference in St. Louis MO and the Conscious Dying Panel Discussion she moderated; the New Death & Dying Event in Minneapolis MN and an additional speaking event in Rochester MN.

You can support this podcast by donating to Patreon.com/eolu. This week the featured patron is Jim Erskine, creator of the Expired “card game for mortals,” who will be soon be launching a Kickstarter campaign for the game. To become a featured patron just go to Patreon.com/eolu and make a small donation!

For those who are reluctant to talk or think about death, here are 5 compelling reasons why it’s important to do so:

  • Preserve your financial legacy
  • Protect your minor children
  • Get the kind of care you want at the end-of-life (or be protected from care you don’t want)
  • Be remembered as you would like to be by your loved ones
  • Lessen the stress for your loved ones

Leave comments and reviews on iTunes to help this podcast get noticed, share with your friends, and become a patron (if you are so inclined.)

Meanwhile, remember to:

Face Your Fears.      BE Ready.       Love Your Life.

 

 

 

 

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 06 Five Wishes for the End-of-Life

kwyattmd

This interview is with Paul Malley, President of Aging With Dignity, a national non-profit organization that created the Five Wishes document for recording end-of-life preferences. In this interview you will learn:
-Why, how and when you should create an advance directive
-The most important question addressed by an advance directive, especially Five Wishes
-How to talk to your loved ones about your wishes at the end-of-life

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 05 Leave a Written Legacy for Your Loved Ones

kwyattmd

Join Dr. Wyatt and her guest Nanette Randall for this interview to learn:
-Why creating a personal history to leave for your loved ones is important
-What you can do now to begin preserving your stories and life wisdom for the people you love
-Options for sharing your stories and getting professional writing help if needed