Tag: palliative care

EOLPodcast

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

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

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.

EOLPodcast

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

Watch on YouTube

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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.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 385 End Well: Shifting the Culture Around End of Life with Tracy Wheeler

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Learn how End Well brings together fresh and diverse perspectives on the end of life from art, design and other non-medical fields.

My guest Tracy Wheeler is the executive director of End Well, an organization dedicated to transforming how the world views end of life. Tracy has a background in art, education, culture and politics, which inform her commitment to shining a light on how we might make end of life a part of life. She discusses the mission and work of End Well since its founding and what lies ahead in the future, including the new End Well Podcast. Learn more at the website:

www.endwellproject.org

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why the end-of-life movement needs to expand beyond the perspective of the healthcare industry
  • Why End Well is working with Hollywood to get more stories written about the end of life
  • How the Netflix series From Scratch portrayed very accurately a true story of serious illness and end of life
  • What the first season of the End Well Podcast consists of
  • About Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider, the founder of End Well, and what inspired her to create this organization
  • Why end-of-life care issues cannot be fixed within the medical system that helped create those very issues
  • The End Well Conference planned for 2024 and how to sign up for the mailing list
  • Why psychedelic assisted therapy will be part of the wave of the future
  • The fear of death that exists within the medical profession
  • The impact of COVID on how healthcare approaches death and 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 Michele Duncan King, Arianna Workman, and Katrina Marcuse-Sharratt! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 377 Center for Conscious Living and Dying: An End-of-Life Care Home with Aditi Sethi, MD

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Learn about a model for a non-medical home that is changing how we provide end-of-life care.

My guest Dr. Aditi Sethi is a hospice and palliative care physician and end-of-life doula. She is the founder and executive director of the Center for Conscious Living and Dying, a community supported end-of-life care home near Asheville NC. Aditi shares her journey toward working with death and dying and the creative inspiration that is bringing CCLD into existence. We discuss why the care home model may be the solution to many problems currently facing hospice and end-of-life care. Learn more at the website:

www.ccld.community

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How intuition guided Aditi’s journey to becoming a hospice and palliative care physician and an EOL doula
  • What Aditi learned from her travels in India during childhood
  • What needs to change in the medical system to improve how people die
  • How conscious living and conscious dying are intertwined
  • Practices to become more awake and aware in life and in dying
  • What is the Center for Conscious Living and Dying
  • The benefits of community-supported end-of-life homes
  • How creativity can help us devise solve the problems we face around end-of-life care
  • Resources available from the Omega Home Network to help people start EOL care homes
  • How working with Ethan Sisser at his end of life inspired Aditi’s next steps to leap into the unknown

Links mentioned in this episode:

EOLPodcast

Ep. 350 Meeting the End-of-Life Needs of Your Community with Elizabeth Johnson and Erin Collins RN

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Learn how this non-profit organization is working to solve gaps in end-of-life care in their community.

My guests Elizabeth Johnson and Erin Collins are the founders and creators of the non-profit Peaceful Presence Project with a mission of helping communities live well, age well and die well by reimagining the way we talk about, plan for and experience the last stage of life. They have created Endnotes, a roadmap for end-of-life planning an will discuss the genesis of their organization and how they take a community-based approach in their work by meeting the gaps that exist in end-of-life care. Learn more at their website:

www.the peacefulpresenceproject.com

Read the transcript

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Elizabeth and Erin were inspired to start this organization
  • The Compassionate Communities model of care that informs their work
  • The importance of integrating palliative care into daily life
  • How to reclaim deathcare as a social event with a medical component
  • Surveying the community for strengths and weaknesses around end-of-life issues to determine areas of need
  • Thoughts on improving the medical model to move from a curative focus to a healing focus by increasing education around palliative and end-of-life care
  • Reasons why our advance care planning has not been “successful” so far
  • High quality conversations about EOL choices are essential and they should start outside of healthcare first
  • Why advance care planning is important for those experiencing homelessness
  • The needs for increased access to palliative care in rural communities
  • Exploring who is too poor to die well

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! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 347 The Global Palliative Care Movement with Katherine Pettus

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Learn about the status of palliative care in developing nations around the world and how IAHPC is working to increase global access.

My guest Katherine Pettus is the Senior Advocacy Director for The International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care. In this role she meets with delegates at the United Nations to increase the understanding of palliative care and to advocate for improved availability of opioids for patients needing pain relief. She is the author of Global Palliative Care: Reports from the Peripheries, which describes her visits to communities around the world to witness firsthand their utilization of palliative care. Learn more about the work of IAHPC at the website:

www.hospicecare.com

Read the transcript

Watch on YouTube

Get the book

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why 80% of the world’s population has no access to morphine
  • How Hospice Africa Uganda is utilizing powdered morphine for pain relief and also allows nurses to prescribe it in the field
  • Why palliative care teams are good at “sideways thinking” to solve problems that arrive in the moment
  • How caregiving is a crisis everywhere in the world right now (except Costa Rica that provides support for family caregivers)
  • Why the extended family is becoming a myth in developing nations
  • What is the “health poverty trap” and how lack of access to palliative care contributes to it
  • How the Western model of medicalized death is spreading to developing nations
  • Expanding palliative care helps medical systems and medical providers as well
  • How a “palliative care peace corps” could transform society
  • How COVID has affected the global palliative care movement

Palliative Care transforms everyone who participates in it.” 

Katherine Pettus in Global Palliative Care: Reports from the Peripheries

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! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 332 Technology Advances for End-of-Life Care with Jeremy Powell

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Learn about exciting new technology that promises to help more patients be referred for hospice and palliative care in a timely manner.

My guest Jeremy Powell is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Acclivity Health Solutions, a company that aims to transform the management of advanced illness while honoring the patient’s dignity, goals and values. He discusses how technology can help us solve some of the greatest challenges we face in the provision of end-of-life care and why we should embrace technology rather than feel intimidated by it. Learn more at the website:

www.acclivityhealth.com

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Current healthcare challenges (including hospice and palliative care) that urgently need to be addressed
  • How COVID-19 has impacted these challenges
  • What technology is being developed to address the challenges facing hospice and palliative care
  • How Machine Learning can provide data that leads to more timely referrals to hospice and palliative care
  • Why lack of interoperability in electronic health records is a deterrent to good patient care
  • How the “3rd Platform” for EHR’s will deconstruct the silos that have existed in healthcare
  • How COVID-19 helped accelerate acceptance of telemedicine
  • Why it’s necessary to look at healthcare finances in order to ensure the survival of hospice in the future
  • Why a technology-driven approach to care does not threaten but can enhance patient-centered care at end of life

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my new patrons Mary Ganapol and Katherine Pettus! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 331 Looking Ahead to 2022

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Learn how the innovations of the past year are going to create more positive change in 2022!

In this final episode of 2021 I’ll share with you some of the innovations of 2021 that are going to be driving further change in the coming year. I’ll remind you of some of the conversations from this past year that provide potential solutions to the issues we are currently facing around end-of-life care. And we’ll recognize that amidst all the pain and sorrow of this pandemic year there has been much to be grateful and joyful about! (This episode is overflowing with information so keep a pen and paper handy to make note of interviews you may want to hear!)

Listen here:

This episode includes:

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 new patrons Teri A. Portugal Gooden and Cari Zlotnick; and thank you Brittany Ellis for increasing your monthly pledge! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 325 Palliative Care: What’s Needed Now and in the Future with John Mulder MD

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Learn how palliative care can meet the healthcare needs of the future.

My guest Dr. John Mulder is a pioneering member of the palliative care specialty. He currently serves as chief medical consultant for hospice and palliative car at Holland Home, the largest provider of elder care services in Michigan. He also serves as executive director for the Trillium Institute, which provides education for clinicians on managing serious and terminal illness. He discusses some of the challenges facing palliative care currently and in the future of this specialty. Learn more at this website:

www.trilliuminstitute.org

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The differences between hospice and palliative care
  • Why the general public and physicians need to reframe their understanding of palliative care
  • Why the 6 months criteria for hospice admission often interferes with patients receiving care that they need
  • Should hospice and palliative care “rebrand” or “rename” in order to overcome stigmas
  • Why referring patients to palliative care could help physicians with burnout
  • How palliative care can improve patient outcomes and quality of life
  • How physicians can better educate their peers about palliative care and hospice
  • What changes will be needed to meet the rising demands of the aging baby boomer population
  • Why primary palliative care training will be essential in the future
  • The importance of attracting new talent to the speciality
  • How technology may evolve in the future to assist with referrals to palliative and hospice care
  • Dr. Mulder’s new podcast: Palliative Matters

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 new patrons Monica Czaplinski and Jeannie Canepa! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 315 “Deep Dive” Part 1: Hospice and EOL Doulas with Deanna Cochran RN

kwyattmd

Learn the “long-view” of end-of-life care and how hospice care has changed over time to now include death doulas.

My guest Deanna Cochran is a registered nurse with certification in hospice and palliative care who has served as a private EOL doula since 2005, so she is truly a pioneer in the movement. She is the founder of the CareDoula® School of Accompanying the Dying and the author of “Accompanying the Dying: Practical, Heart-Centered Wisdom for End-of-Life Doula and Healthcare Advocates.” Today we begin a “deep-dive” conversation that covers our experiences in nursing and medical training, hospice of the past vs today’s hospice, and why death doulas are so important right now. Tune in next week for Part 2 of our discussion! Learn more about Deanna’s work and the trainings she offers at her website:

www.certifiedcaredoula.com

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Deanna was first introduced to sitting vigil by her grandmother
  • The lack of death training in nursing and medical schools
  • Why we have to be aware of our own suffering before we can sit with the suffering of others
  • Why death doulas are needed now more than ever in our busy and understaffed healthcare system
  • How hospice care has changed over the years
  • What to do if you are receiving inadequate care from a hospice
  • How the medical system falls short of whole-person care by focusing primarily on the physical aspect of patients
  • Why personal experience matters a great deal in caring for the dying
  • The value of stillness and being quiet in end-of-life care

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 supporters Alix Lutnick and Nancy Kendrick! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 295 Psilocybin Therapy at End of Life: The Legal Case with Kathryn Tucker, JD

kwyattmd

Learn about the legal effort to make psilocybin available as a transformative therapy at the end of life.

My guest Kathryn Tucker is a Special Counsel at Emerge Law Group where she co-chairs the Psychedelic Practice Group. She is also the Executive Director of the End-of-Life Liberty Project and served two decades as Director of Advocacy and Legal Affairs for Compassion & Choices, working to improve care and expand choice at the end of life. She shares the current legal case she is spearheading to allow terminally ill patients to try psilocybin as a palliative care medication and how psilocybin has already been shown to be hugely beneficial to patients at the end of life. Learn more about her work at:

www.emergelawgroup.com

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The benefits of psilocybin therapy for palliative care
  • Why terminally ill patients cannot currently access psilocybin therapy
  • What are Right to Try (RTT) laws and how they may apply to psilocybin
  • History behind psilocybin being labeled a Schedule I drug by the DEA
  • Test case that has been filed in court based on Washington state and Federal RTT laws
  • How “friends of the court” can be helpful to this case
  • Why the success of this case could open access for patients in other states
  • Oregon’s Psilocybin Therapy Law and implications for other states

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! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast

Ep. 288 PEACH: Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless with Dr. Naheed Dosani

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Learn about an innovative program to provide end-of-life care to people living on the streets and in shelters in Toronto.

My guest Dr. Naheed Dosani is the founder of PEACH, a mobile outreach program that provides palliative care to the homeless on the streets and in the shelters of Toronto. His model led to the development of Journey Home Hospice, Toronto’s first hospice for the homeless, which opened in May 2018. He’ll share how and why he started PEACH and inspire all of us to be more aware of and active in dealing with the issues of homelessness and health inequities in our communities. Learn more about PEACH at this webpage:

http://www.icha-toronto.ca/peach-covid-19-palliative-care-resources-for-physicians-and-frontline-workers

Follow Dr. Dosani:

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What inspired Naheed to create a palliative care program for homeless people
  • How PEACH functions and provides care for patients on the streets and in shelters
  • Why there is a great need for palliative care for the homeless population
  • Health issues faced by homeless people and their shockingly low life expectancy
  • How to replicate PEACH in other cities and countries
  • Trauma-informed care and why it is needed for all patients, including those who are homeless
  • Why we need systemic change in medicine to provide more equitable care to all people
  • Dealing with grief, compassion fatigue and moral injury for healthcare providers
  • Why we’re facing a global pandemic of grief due to COVID-19

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! Your contributions make all the difference!

End of Life, EOLPodcast, Hospice

Ep. 221 Hospice and Palliative Care: Know the Difference

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Understand the basic facts about hospice and palliative care, what they have in common, and what makes them different.

PodcastHospicePall

In this “EOL 101” episode I explain the difference between hospice and palliative care. This is an important piece of information for people making choices around end-of-life care and an area where there are many misconceptions. We all need to be well-versed in EOL options for our own needs and also so that we can help educate others. I’ll offer additional “explainer” episodes in the future!

Listen here:

 

This episode includes:

  • Who is on the palliative care (and hospice) team
  • Whole-person care is offered by both services
  • Who is eligible for palliative care
  • How and why to enroll in palliative care
  • The criteria for admission to hospice
    • Terminal diagnosis
    • 6 months from end of life
    • Forego curative treatment
  • Both hospice and palliative care provide symptom-based, comfort care that focuses on quality of life
  • The main differences between hospice and palliative care (including financial considerations)
  • Why you should choose both types of care if possible (first palliative then transfer to hospice)
  • Why some patients may not choose hospice care but should still opt for palliative care

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: Lisa Monroe, Deb Pazderka, Debbie Henkemeyer, and Molly Byock; your contributions make all the difference!

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 165 Part 4: The Palliative Care Team Chaplain with Stephanie Ryu

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PodcastPallRyu

 

 

ProvidenceRyuITIn Part 4 of our series on palliative care I share an interview with Stephanie Ryu a palliative care chaplain. She’ll discuss her role providing spiritual support to patients with advanced illness. 

Learn more about palliative care here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

madrid-2713916_640My awesome Spain trip is at an end as this episode airs and I’ll be making my way back to Colorado! You can check out all of my pictures on Instagram at kwyattmd!

Tune in next week to hear my stories from Spain!

FEATURE PRESENTATION:

In this presentation Stephanie Ryu will discuss her role as a chaplain on the palliative care team.

You will learn:

  • How the work of a palliative care chaplain differs from other chaplaincy work
  • The role of spiritual care in the whole-person approach to illness and healing
  • The importance of spirituality at the end of life
  • How chaplains assist patients of all religions and those who follow no religion

Stephanie Ryu is a graduate of St. Xavier University and Fuller Theological Seminary. She completed CPE Residency at Providence St. Joseph – Burbank in 2012-13 along with a 6-month fellowship in hospice and palliative care. She now serves as a Palliative Care Chaplain for Providence Health and Services.

Tune in next week for a brand new episode!! If you like this content consider leaving a review on iTunes.

Until next time …

Face Your Fear         BE Ready         Love Your Life

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End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 164 Part 3: The Palliative Care Team Social Worker with Andrea Strouth MSW

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PodcastPallStrouth

 

 

ProvidenceStrouthIn Part 3 of our series on palliative care I share an interview with Andrea Strouth MSW a social worker on the palliative care team. She’ll talk about her role on the team to help us understand why social workers play an important part in the care of patients with advanced illness.

Learn more about palliative care here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

sagrada-familia-392009_640At the time of this broadcast I’m still enjoying my Spain trip – probably eating some tapas in Barcelona! I’ll be returning home in a few weeks but meanwhile check out my photos on Instagram at kwyattmd!

 

 

FEATURE PRESENTATION:

In this presentation Andrea Strouth LCSW, MSW will discuss the role of the social worker on the palliative care team.

You will learn:

  • The duties of the palliative care team social worker
  • Why palliative patients might need social work services
  • How the multidisciplinary palliative care team functions as a unit
  • The rewards of working on a palliative care team

Andrea Strouth received her MSW from the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently working at Providence Health & Services-Southern California to help develop their outpatient palliative care program. Previously, Andrea worked at the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine and in the Medical and Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Units at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her passion lies in advanced care planning and education surrounding end-of-life issues to ensure patients feel empowered in every aspect of their care.

Tune in next Monday for Part 4 of this series. If you find this content helpful please share it with other and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Also your contributions to my page at Patreon.com/eolu are always appreciated!

Until next time …

Face Your Fear         BE Ready           Love Your Life

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End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 163 Part 2: The Palliative Care Team Nurse with Rebekah Riemer RN

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PodcastPallRiemer

 

 

Providencebeka (002)In Part 2 of our series on palliative care I share an interview with Rebekah Riemer a palliative care nurse. She’ll talk about her role on the team and why she decided to specialize in palliative care nursing.

Learn more about palliative care here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

flamencoMy Spain trip continues this week as I visit more of Andalucia and take in some flamenco dancing.  I’ll be returning home in a few weeks but meanwhile check out my photos on Instagram at kwyattmd!

 

FEATURE PRESENTATION:

In this presentation Rebekah Riemer RN will discuss the role of the nurse on the palliative care team and her own story of being called to work in palliative.

You will learn:

  • How Beka was introduced to palliative care as a family member of a patient and a patient herself
  • The typical duties of a palliative care nurse
  • How palliative care meets the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their families
  • The most common misperceptions about palliative care for the public and for healthcare providers

Rebekah “Beka” Riemer, RN, CCRN was an intensive care nurse for over eight years, working in surgical as well as medical ICUs and currently works as the Nurse Coordinator on the Inpatient Palliative Care Team at Providence Little Company of Mary in Torrance, California. She is on the team working towards the recertification of the Joint Commission’s Advanced Certification for Palliative Care. She serves on the Critical Care Committee representing nursing and Palliative Care, as well as on the Ethics Committee and Mortality Committee.

In addition, Ms. Riemer volunteers at the Leukemia Lymphoma Society of America (LLSA), Los Angeles, CA chapter. In 2013, she was 1st runner up for Woman of the Year, as she raised over $50,000 for leukemia/lymphoma research for the LLSA. Ms. Riemer has been an ELNEC-Critical Care faculty member for over five years.

She also spoke at the National Teaching Institute for Critical Care Nurses in 2017, speaking about the importance of integrating Palliative Care in Critical Care settings. She will also be published in the 5th edition of the Oxford Textbook for Palliative Care Nursing in the seventh chapter titled, “ Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Teams: Specialists in Delivering Palliative Care”.

Tune in next Monday for Part 3 of our series on palliative care! If you enjoy this content please share it with others who might find it helpful and consider leaving a review on iTunes!

Until next time …

Face Your Fear       BE Ready        Love Your Life

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End of Life, EOLPodcast, Hospice

Ep. 162 Part 1: The Palliative Care Team Physician with Colin Scibetta MD

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PodcastPallScibetta

 

 

ProvidencescibettaThis episode is the first of a 4-part series that introduces you to the members of a palliative care team. Today Dr. Colin Scibetta discusses his role as the physician on the team and how palliative care differs from hospice care. In future episodes you’ll hear from the team nurse, social worker and chaplain.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

grenade-1285671_640As this episode airs I am enjoying a trip through Spain, including cycling in the Andalucia region! I’ll be back home in a few weeks to report on the trip. Follow me on Instagram to see my photos at kwyattmd or this link: https://www.instagram.com/kwyattmd/

 

FEATURE PRESENTATION:

This interview will cover:

  • What palliative care consists of
  • The difference between palliative care and hospice
  • The benefits of palliative care for patients
  • How the whole-person approach of palliative medicine also benefits care providers
  • Why Providence Institute for Human Caring (et al) was awarded the Circle of Life Award from the American Hospital Association

 

Colin Scibetta MD is a fellowship-trained palliative medicine physician who complete his undergrad in neuroscience and biology at Wesleyan University. He then moved to Ecuador where he worked on a health initiative for indigenous communities impacted by oil development. Dr. Scibetta did his undergraduate medical training at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, where he also completed an internal medicine residency and a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine.

Remember to tune in next week for Part 2 of this palliative care series! If you enjoy this content be sure to share it with others who might find it helpful and consider leaving a review on iTunes. 

Until next time …

Face Your Fear          BE Ready           Love Your Life

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End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 159 How to Make Difficult End-of-Life Decisions for a Loved One

kwyattmd

PodcastDecisions

 

 

purposequestionIn 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:

Guide for Difficult EOL Decisions

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

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End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 150 Die Wise: A Call for Wisdom in the Approach to Death with Stephen Jenkinson

kwyattmd

Learn about Stephen’s teachings on death phobia in our society and how palliative care and the medical system fail to address this problem.

PodcastJenkinson

DieWiseIn this episode I share an excerpt from an interview with Stephen Jenkinson, author of the book Die Wise, founder of Orphan Wisdom and subject of the documentary Griefwalker. Stephen discusses some of the problems with our approach to death in modern society, including the medical system.

Learn more about Stephen’s work here.

Get Die Wise here.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Thank you to my latest supporter on Patreon.com/eolu: Bernadette Koch. I appreciate your willingness to contribute to this podcast and the End-of-Life University Series to keep them on the air. If you’d like to join the team, support this work, and get awesome bonuses at the same time, go to Patreon.com/eolu to learn more and sign up!

 

obrienwebinar

On July 24th I’m hosting Suzanne O’Brien RN for a free webinar where she’ll be teaching “End-of-Life Doula Training for Caregivers and Volunteers.” If you’d like to know more about the work of end-of-life doulas and learn important skills for caring for the dying, this webinar will be valuable for you.

Learn more at: eoluniversity.com/obrien.

Click here to sign up for the webinar (it’s free and you’ll receive the replay if you can’t attend live.)

FEATURE PRESENTATION:

StephenJenkinson2My guest Stephen Jenkinson is a palliative care consultant, teacher, author and ceremonialist who is “revolutionizing grief and dying in North America.” As the author of Die Wise he teaches that “Dying well is a right and responsibility of everyone.”

Dying well is a right and responsibility of everyone. – Stephen Jenkinson

In this interview we discuss:

  • The origin of death phobia in our society
  • How the fear of non-existence is the greatest fear of most people
  • Why “lost” and “loss” are not helpful terms to use when discussing death
  • The danger of the “fighting illness” mentality of modern medicine
  • Why dying and grief are things that we “do” rather than events that “happen to us”
  • Why palliative care should be dying-centered rather than relief-centered

(This is an excerpt from the interview with Stephen. The full interview can be found at Patreon.com/eolu as a bonus for Platinum level supporters ($5 per month.))

Tune in every Monday for a new episode and if you like this content please share it with others or consider leaving a review on iTunes.

Until next week:

Face Your Fear         BE Ready          Love Your Life

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End of Life, EOLPodcast, Hospice

Ep. 109 Twenty Years of “Dying Well” – A Conversation with Ira Byock, MD

kwyattmd

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.

PodcastByock

IralaughingIn 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:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAs 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.

Patreonbecome2xThis 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:

EOLU17Byock

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.

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