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Today’s guest Roy Remer is teaching caregivers how to practice mindful Caregiving, creating sustainability and calm during the caregiving experience.  Roy is the author of Zen Caregiving: How to Ca…

Today’s guest Roy …

Today’s guest Roy Remer is teaching caregivers how to practice mindful caregiving, creating sustainability and calm during the caregiving experience.  Roy is the author of Zen Caregiving: How to Care for Yourself While Caring for Others. An educator and end-of-life caregiver since 1997, he is executive director of Zen Caregiving Project in San Francisco and lead creator of the Mindful Caregiving Education curriculum. A dedicated practitioner in the Soto Zen tradition, Remer is a student at San Francisco Zen Center. He is certified by the Stanford University School of Medicine’s Center for…

Walking alongside someone with serious illness takes compassion, skill, and a willingness to learn.  Dr. Kevin Dieter is teaching medical students how to be with the dying.  When Kevin’s patient �…

Walking alongside so…

Walking alongside someone with serious illness takes compassion, skill, and a willingness to learn.  Dr. Kevin Dieter is teaching medical students how to be with the dying.  When Kevin’s patient “Mary” asked him to help her die, he had no idea how to support her.  Mary taught him how to shepherd a patient and Family at the end of life, teaching him a lesson that changed his career.  Kevin has gone on to work in hospice care and to write curriculum programs for medical students.  Here are the three Pillars of Care that Dr. Dieter teaches: 1. The dying are our teachers.  We learn fr…

End of Life Doula and hospice nurse Jan Booth teaches at the intersection of end of life care and quality of life, promoting open-hearted advance care plan conversations to get to what really matters.…

End of Life Doula an…

End of Life Doula and hospice nurse Jan Booth teaches at the intersection of end of life care and quality of life, promoting open-hearted advance care plan conversations to get to what really matters. Her heart and Wisdom shine in this episode as she acknowledges the challenges of navigating the healthcare “superhighway”. Jan reminds us we have more agency to take the lead in decision-making about the care we receive, and that includes what happens at the end of life. Hospice care is person-centered, caring for both patient and family. Having early (upstream) conversations about end of…

Hospice nurse and end of life doula Trish Rux believes that considering our death helps us to live life more fully.  After being at the bedside of hundreds of dying patients, she’s learned lessons …

Hospice nurse and en…

Hospice nurse and end of life doula Trish Rux believes that considering our death helps us to live life more fully.  After being at the bedside of hundreds of dying patients, she’s learned lessons that have shaped how she lives.  Trish believes most caregivers are reluctant to ask for help, especially the small things that can make a big difference. She recommends building a caregiving group who can be part of the support group from the beginning, before things get intense.  Having advance care planning discussions that focus on the specifics of end of life wishes is one of the doula role…

Tracy Heath is taking a holistic approach to serious illness and dying, finding a healthy balance of emotional, physical, and financial well-being.  Although her family never discussed end of life is…

Tracy Heath is takin…

Tracy Heath is taking a holistic approach to serious illness and dying, finding a healthy balance of emotional, physical, and financial well-being.  Although her family never discussed end of life issues, Tracy made her way to Estate planning work. Tracy lost both her parents while Tracy was still in her 20’s, had small children, and was working a full time job. Her family experienced the impact of four deaths within three years.  Tracy learned many of the hard lessons that caregiving teaches, including the value of advance care planning.  Using a unique combination of financial acumen an…

Hospice aides hold a special place on the hospice team, bringing their hearts to the hard work of personal care for seriously ill patients.  Kathleen Schrek shares the stories that have inspired her,…

Hospice aides hold a…

Hospice aides hold a special place on the hospice team, bringing their hearts to the hard work of personal care for seriously ill patients.  Kathleen Schrek shares the stories that have inspired her, tested her, and taught her to take care of herself.  As a trained Hospice Aide, Death Doula, and Social Worker, Katie has experienced the full span of working with the dying.  As an individual who has experienced a very personal loss, she knows the cost of grieving.  Katie describes the lessons she’s learned about maintaining healthy boundaries, not only to care for herself, but to protect p…

During her caregiving experience, author Alexandra Grabbe came to know her mom on a deeper level and found joy in their last days together.   Alexandra juggled caregiving responsibilities and managin…

During her caregivin…

During her caregiving experience, author Alexandra Grabbe came to know her mom on a deeper level and found joy in their last days together.   Alexandra juggled caregiving responsibilities and managing her business, trying to give her best to both jobs.  Her mom Beatrice was a fierce career woman who knew her mind.  Alexandra experienced all the challenges that come with solo caregiving - overwhelm, fatigue - and yet was able to find the beauty as well.  Beatrice talked with people that her daughter couldn’t see, a phenomenon known as deathbed visioning.  Daughter and mother got comforta…

Today’s guest Alexandra Dionisio offers an honest look at the work of a pediatric death doula, describing how she has learned to sit with hard truths and face them with an open heart.  As the host …

Today’s guest Alex…

Today’s guest Alexandra Dionisio offers an honest look at the work of a pediatric death doula, describing how she has learned to sit with hard truths and face them with an open heart.  As the host of the Learning To Say Goodbye podcast, Alexandra is exploring death, grief, and spirituality.  After losing four people she loved in quick succession - none of whom she got to say goodbye to - Alexandra transformed her grief into a mission.  Her work now focuses on helping families say the goodbyes she never could and honoring endings.  Alexandra acknowledges the challenges of working with a f…

Grief expert Melissa Lunardini is featured in this conversation about the potential and pitfalls of AI use in grief care. Being able to leverage Technology for grief support can be a huge help, but a…

Grief expert Melissa…

Grief expert Melissa Lunardini is featured in this conversation about the potential and pitfalls of AI use in grief care. Being able to leverage technology for grief support can be a huge help, but as with any tech use, that support needs to be safe and appropriate.   Here are some highlights from this episode: Melissa believes it’s very important to recognize that while AI is technology, not all technology is AI.Text-based support (texting) is NOT AI; it’s simply SMS messaging that comes to a Smart Phone.  For many people who need support, receiving a text is the best way to access…

When Kate Christie’s mom chose to utilize VSED at the end of her life, Kate became a caregiver and advocate, never losing sight of role as a daughter. Kate’s mom faced a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s…

When Kate Christie�…

When Kate Christie’s mom chose to utilize VSED at the end of her life, Kate became a caregiver and advocate, never losing sight of role as a daughter. Kate’s mom faced a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and made the choice to use VSED (Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking). Kate stayed by her mom’s side through the dying process and death, experiencing all the facets of being a VSED caregiver. Now Kate’s sharing her story and advocating for caregivers and anyone with a serious illness who chooses VSED.  Her book The VSED Handbook is a guide and resource for anyone needing inform…

Death Doula Alua Arthur brings fresh air, compassion, and humor to her work with the dying.  After ten years working as an attorney, Alua found herself burned out, depressed, and looking for deeper m…

Death Doula Alua Art…

Death Doula Alua Arthur brings fresh air, compassion, and humor to her work with the dying.  After ten years working as an attorney, Alua found herself burned out, depressed, and looking for deeper meaning.  She found her purpose and passion in end of life work.  As a Death Doula and founder of Going with Grace, Alua educates clients and future death doulas about working with those experiencing serious illness.  She brings an open mind to advance care planning conversations, allowing clients to bring all of their humanity to what they want for their death.  Alua believes discussions about…

By providing end of life care for the homeless population, The INN Between fills a special need in the Salt Lake City community.  Executive Director Jillian Olmsted’s journey with The INN Between i…

By providing end of …

By providing end of life care for the homeless population, The INN Between fills a special need in the Salt Lake City community.  Executive Director Jillian Olmsted’s journey with The INN Between is both personal and purposeful. Jillian’s connection to the mission was shaped by her own family’s experiences with Cancer—within a single year, her mother, father, and stepfather each faced the disease. Two parents required hospice care before their deaths, and Jillian personally cared for her father as he underwent treatment while uninsured, unable to work, and potentially facing homelessn…