EOLPodcast

Ep. 529 The Dementia Deck: Preparing for Future Decisions with Lisa Pahl and Jamie Thrower

Learn about a helpful conversation game that encourages discussions about advance care planning for dementia.

My guests for this episode, Lisa Pahl and Jamie Thrower, are the co-creators of The Dementia Deck, a new card game to help inspire conversations about demential. Lisa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Advanced Practice Hospice and Palliative Social Worker who previously created The Death Deck and The EOL Deck–conversation games that are changing the way we talk about death. Jamie is a queer death doula, end-of-life educator and community grief-tender serving the LGBTQ+ community in life and in death. She also runs Queer Grief Club (and I plan to have her back on the podcast to talk about her work!) They discuss how to use The Dementia Deck to overcome fears of dementia and help families prepare for future changes and decision-making. Learn more at their websites:

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What The Death Deck and The EOL Deck consist of
  • The story behind The Dementia Deck and its creation
  • How Jamie collaborated on the design of the deck
  • Why conversations and advance care planning are important for people with dementia
  • Many people fear dementia even more than death
  • Millions of Americans are impacted by dementia either as a patient or a caregiver
  • How to introduce The Dementia Deck to an individual
  • Tips for getting the most out of working with the deck
  • Why it’s important to “stack the deck” when you first begin talking about dementia

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 thanks to everyone who has 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. 526 End-of-Life Planning: Small Steps to Complete the Work with Jennifer Tadjedin and Karen Callahan

Learn how “peace-of-mind” planning starts with a few small steps that are doable and make a big difference.

My guests this week, Jennifer Tadjedin and Karen Callahan, are the co-founders of The Heartwood Collective where they guide people through all facets of developing a death plan (other than financial and estate planning.) They discuss how their paths crossed as they began exploring new meaningful work around helping other people with planning and preparing for the end of life. Learn more at their website:

theheartwoodcollective.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The power of collaboration and synergy to create new ideas
  • Why we need to begin with death education and helping people get more comfortable with death before we can make other changes
  • How their workshops normalize talking about death
  • Breaking big tasks into small steps helps people actually get the work done
  • How planning ahead helps lessen stress and grief for loved ones
  • The biggest barriers to end-of-life planning for most people
  • Some people find it easier to discuss death as they get older
  • The benefits of working in a group on end-of-life planning
  • How to choose the best person as a healthcare proxy

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 thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.