Features

Day Schildkret is internationally renowned as an author, artist, and teacher behind the Morning Altars movement, inspiring tens of thousands of people to make life more beautiful and meaningful through ritual, nature and art. Ritual is a powerful way to make meaning in times of grief and times of joy. More than ceremony, rituals can mark our experiences and open us to the wonder of life itself. Author of Morning Altars and Hello Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration and Change. Day can be found at www.MorningAltars.com

Grief is both emotional and felt experience. If we have the courage to really feel grief, feel our humanness, then we can process it more fully – even though we don’t really know when it will end. Rev Olivia was trained in the 80’s as a Death Midwife during the AIDS crisis and has been supporting people at the end of life ever since. She is founder of the Sacred Crossings Institute, which offers classes and workshops in End-of-Life preparedness, as well as a Death Doula certificate training program. Rev Olivia is also one of the stars of our documentary Saying Goodbye: Preparing for Death.

Our animal companions mean the world to us. They are part of our family and our support system. Letting them go is never easy, but it is necessary.
Veterinarian Dr. Emily Reiner knows that compassion for pets at their end of life is crucial, for them and for their humans. She operates Forever Loved, a vet service that focuses on end-of-life care and euthanasia. For Dr Reiner, it is an honour to help animals at the end of their journey, and to ensure that their end is peaceful and in their own homes.

Death Doulas are important members of the team that make up, “Last Responders.” Jude Higgins is an Educator, Spiritual Care Coordinator, and Clinical Chaplain at Quality Home Health & Hospice in Salt Lake City, UT. As such, she has much insight into the role Death Doulas play in end-of-life care.

When we talk about the role of end of life doulas we primarily think that they offer support to prepare for death, provide comfort, help with grief. But there’s an aspect that we don’t often realize is necessary and that is  advocacy within the health care system. When facing death, many feel helpless and unsure of what steps to take. In her work, Dianne Gray focuses on advocating for patients, facilitating conversation between physicians and families and communicating options so that they can make informed decisions together. 

Art and movement therapy can be a powerful ally on the grief journey. Integrating the death of a loved one can be overwhelming, but somatic movement and art therapy can often help.

In this episode host Johanna Lunn and Barbara discuss the future of dying. How hospice has changed. How to pick a hospice (not all hospices are the same.) The important role of end-of-life workers, and so much more.

Dr. Penny Sartori PhD is a skilled intensive care nurse, educator, and leading world expert on near death experiences. She has authored a number of books including The Wisdom of Near Death Experiences and also appears in the When You Die Trilogy.