EOLPodcast

Ep. 413 Death in the E.R. and the Failures of Modern Medicine with Drew Remignanti MD

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

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

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This episode includes:

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

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

EOLPodcast

Ep. 407 Navigating Your Parents’ Senior Years with Star Bradbury

Learn some great tips for helping your parents make challenging decisions about their senior years and end of life.

My guest Star Bradbury is an Aging Life Care Specialist and the CEO of Senior Living Strategies. She has helped thousands of families make educated and informed decisions as they navigate the world of senior living and senior healthcare. She is the author of Successfully Navigating Your Parents’ Senior Years: Critical Information to Maximize Their Independence and Make Sure They Get the Care They Need. She shares tips and advice for helping parents make plans for their elder years, including the end of life, and how this book is a resource for all of us regardless of our age. Learn more at her website:

http://www.starbradbury.com

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This episode includes:

  • Why it’s important to maximize and prolong your parents’ independence
  • Tips for starting difficult conversations with your parents
  • Why confronting the need for change can get harder as we age
  • The benefits of “just in time” senior planning that takes place before a crisis occurs
  • How to navigate the world of senior living options and the best questions to ask when touring a senior care facility
  • Tips for being involved in your parents’ care when you don’t live nearby
  • Why aging in place may not be the best choice for every senior
  • Why “slow medicine” should be considered as part of our end-of-life planning

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest donor Ellen Koski! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast, Hospice, Spirituality

Ep. 196 The Doctor Who Became a Doula to Improve End-of-Life Care with Jackie Yeager MD

Learn how death doula training helped this physician find more meaning and fulfillment in her end-of-life medical practice.

PodcastYeager

My guest Dr. Jackie Yeager is a hospice and palliative care physician who has also trained as a death doula in order to provide the best possible care to her patients. She discusses her passion for slow medicine, especially at the end of life, and describes a new course she is launching on medical information for caregivers and death doulas. Learn more about the Informed Caregiver Course at her website:

www.informedcaregiver.com

Listen here:

 

This interview includes:

  • Why Dr. Jackie decided to become a death doula
  • What is “slow medicine” and why it is important
  • How mindfulness and spiritual practice help her be a better doctor
  • How death doulas augment traditional hospice care
  • How physicians struggle with grief over the deaths of patients
  • The scope of practice for a death doula
  • What is included in Dr. Jackie’s Informed Caregiver Course

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 Patrons: Kimberly Ogle, Linda McCarthy and Sherilee Bakken!