Podcast

Hospice physician, Dr. Karen Wyatt has been widely recognized for her compassionate presence with patients and her deep understanding of the spiritual aspect of health, illness and dying. In this episode, Johanna Lunn talks with Hospice physician Dr Karen Wyatt about Seven Lessons for the Living from the Dying, a beautiful book about Dr Wyatt's entre into hospice work after her father died and the many life-giving lessons she received from her patients.

Carol Reid and her husband were looking forward to spending their retirement together. But when Jim was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia , Carol found that although she had worked as a palliative care nurse, it did not prepare her to deal with the gradual loss of her own loved one.

Briana Simmons is a lifecycle facilitator for black and LGBTQIA+ communities. She is also the founder of Unearthing Tradition, and works to reclaim dignified life cycles, and offering lifecycle support that creates unapologetic healing spaces for black folks.

When Nefertiti Moor first began her work in death care, she had originally planned to focus on being a Death Doula. But within her community she saw a need for so much more. It was because of this need that Nefertiti founded Dearly Bereaved, where she can help people in many aspects, from green burial support, grief support and home funeral guiding. In doing so, she has been able to revisit ancient customs and traditions of her ancestors and bring them to life in a modern world. You can find Nefertiti at https://www.dearlybereaved.net/ or https://www.timetopause.org/

Alica Forneret's work focuses on how we can support each other through death-related loss and the grief sparked by, and before, end-of-life experiences. She is the Executive Director of PAUSE which supports Communities of Color through grief and end of life by hosting a mentorship/incubator program for individuals, business owners, artists, and concept creators working in the end-of-life space. For further information visit: www.timetopause.org/

Nicola Nuttall's daughter Laura was just starting University when she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. We talk about how the family has been living with this diagnosis, their drive to help others and the gratitude they feel for the many people have come forward to help Laura fulfill her bucket list - which includes driving a tank, a plane & a subway car! Since recording this podcast Laura has died. She is greatly missed by all and as Nicola said "She squeezed more joy in to her 23 years and 5 months than most people do in an entire lifetime." website: https://www.doingitforlaura.com/our-story Twitter: ShitScaredMum

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.

Since 1993, The Sharing Place in Salt Lake City has had a mission to “provide a safe and caring environment for grieving children, teens, and their families to share their feelings while healing themselves.” Program director Jill MacFarlane talks to us about the value of this process and how telling the truth is the most important thing you can do when helping kids deal with their grief