End-of-Life University

Learn how a funeral director who is also an end-of-life doula merges “head and heart” in her work to help people prepare for the end of life.

My guest Christa Ovenell is a licensed funeral director, an end-of-life doula, and the founder of Death’s Apprentice Education & Planning. She shares how she helps people think about, talk about, and prepare for the end of life and what comes after. Her work highlights the importance of planning how to live fully during our last days so that we don’t waste any of our precious time, and how to navigate all the transitions of life as we age. Learn more at her website:

deathsapprentice.ca

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

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. Also thank you to everyone who has joined the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Learn why you should start a death collaborative in your community and tips for getting started.

My guests this week are members of the Minnesota Death Collaborative and will share how the collaborative was created, including tips for others who might like to start a similar collaborative in their community or state. Michelle Kolling is a hospice volunteer and end-of-life doula who serves as secretary of the collaborative and Nina Guertin is an end-of-life doula, death educator and a co-founder of the original collaborative. They share their personal experiences and the benefits and challenges of collaborating with others. Learn more about each guest and the MN Death Collaborative at the links below:

Michelle Kolling: heldoula.com

Nina Guertin: tendingthespirit.care

MN Death Collaborative: mndeathcollaborative.org

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

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. Also thank you to Anonymous for buying me a cup of coffee and to everyone who has joined the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Learn how death and grief are portrayed in pop culture through this new series that analyzes theater, film and music, starting with the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen.

Trigger Warning: This episode contains references to suicide and grief after suicide so use your own discretion if these are sensitive topics for you. If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide and need help call or text the National Suicide Hotline at 988.

My guest Benjamin Kintisch is a cantor, hospice and eldercare chaplain, music teacher, and the creator of Life Review: The Hospice Musical. Ben and I are teaming up for a new series on Death & Grief in Pop Culture to talk about all the interesting ways death shows up in culture, what we might learn about death and grief through the lens of pop culture, and how we can utilize popular references to death and grief to increase death literacy for ourselves and others. This week we are discussing the Broadway musical “Dear Evan Hansen.” Learn more about Ben’s work at his website:

lifereviewmusical.com

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

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 latest supporters Cheri and Mark and to Dana Tuttle for buying me 3 coffees! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Learn how a palliative clinician and a researcher are helping to create a social movement for improving the patient and family experience of serious illness.

This week I’m welcoming Drs. Sammy Winemaker and Hsien Seow, creators of The Waiting Room Revolution and authors of the book Hope for the Best Plan for the Rest. Sammy is a palliative care physician and an associate clinical professor at McMaster University. Hsien is a professor in the Department of Oncology at McMaster University who publishes health care research focused on improving the patient and family experience for those facing serious illness. Together they co-host The Waiting Room Revolution Podcast to help patients and family members feel hopeful and prepared when facing serious illness. Their book Hope for the Best Plan for the Rest is the featured book for the month of September 2024 in A Year of Reading Dangerously reading group. Learn more about their work and download the discussion guide for the book at the links below:

waitingroomrevolution.com

Get the book here

Discussion Guide

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

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 latest supporters Jenny Gedda, Carolynn Rafa Todd, and Karen Sueanna! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Learn about some helpful episodes from the EOLU Archives that can show you how and why to start teaching others about death and dying.

This week I’m sharing another “Podcast Playlist” which is a topic-focused deep dive into the archives of EOLU. I have created several anthologies of episodes that deal with specific subjects to make it easier for you to take advantage of the wealth of information available from previous interviews on the podcast. This playlist centers on Death Education and you’ll learn a lot about why we all need to be death educators in our communities right now, tips for creating our own classes or events, and various resources and trainings that are available to help you start to teach others. You can see the slides for this episode if you watch on YouTube at the link below or you can download a handout of the slides and a list of the presenters. There’s a lot of content here – this playlist should help you choose the episodes you want to listen to!

View slides here

YouTube Channel

Handout of Presenters

Listen here:

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 latest supporters Margie Blanchard and Bonnie! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Learn some tips and tools for offering support to family caregivers tending a loved one on hospice.

My return guest Gabby Jimenez is a hospice nurse, end-of-life doula, death and dying educator, author and blogger. She is the author/co-author of numerous books, including Dignity Day and The Doula Tool Kit and the host of The Hospice Heart community on Facebook. In today’s conversation she shares her thoughts about how to support family caregivers through some of the overwhelming issues they face while caring for a loved one. We address our concerns for the well-being of family caregivers and offer some tips for improving their experience with hospice and easing their subsequent grief after death occurs. Learn more at her website:

thehospiceheart.net

Get Gabby’s books here

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

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 latest supporters Heather Capuana and Paul, and to Peg Hofmann for joining the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Learn how a home funeral guide and an aqua cremation provider collaborate to help families care for a loved one’s body after death.

My two guests this week are collaborators who work together to ensure that their clients can access family involved deathcare: Trina Wacasey is an end-of-life doula, home funeral guide and the founder of Creating Honoring Spaces; and David Perfito is the founder of the first alkaline hydrolysis facility in the state of California, White Rose Aqua Cremation. They share how they came to work together in collaboration and how their model can be an inspiration for others to address gaps in deathcare in their communities. Learn more at their websites:

creatinghonoringspaces.com

whiteroseaquacremation.com

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

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 latest supporters Marie Sutton and Aviva Engel. Also many thanks to Karessa Torgerson for making a donation through Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Learn about a book of quotes gathered by a compassionate oncologist from deep conversations with her patients.

My guest Dr. Christina Gomez is a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is the author of the book Stopped in My Tracks: A Physician’s Collection of Cancer Patients’ Quotes, which she discusses today. She shares her approach to talking with patients about difficult end of life issues, including referring them to palliative or hospice care and the value of listening deeply to her patients. Learn more at her website:

christinagomezmd.com

Get the book here

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

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 to Sue Stuparek for buying me a coffee! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Learn all about end-of-life doulas from this comprehensive deep dive into the archives of EOLU Podcast!

This week I’m sharing a new feature: the “Podcast Playlist” which is a topic-focused deep dive into the archives of EOLU. I’ve created several anthologies of episodes that deal with specific subjects that might interest you. This is to make it easier for you to take advantage of the wealth of information available from previous interviews on the podcast. This playlist centers on EOL Doulas and you’ll learn a lot about what doulas do, why they are important, and various types of trainings that are available. You can see the slides for this episode if you watch on YouTube at the link below or you can download a handout of the slides and a list of the presenters:

View slides here

Handout of Presenters

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

Learn about a guidebook that teaches how to offer appropriate nutrition for a loved one approaching death.

This week I’m welcoming my recurring guest and friend Barbara Karnes RN, hospice nurse, author, thought leader and expert on end-of-life care and the dynamics of dying. Barbara is the author of Gone From My Sight, “the little blue book” used by hospices around the world to teach families what to expect as their loved one dies. She is also the author of the new book Always Offer, Never Force that teaches caregivers about the changing needs for food and nutrition as the body approaches death. We discuss the book and our personal experiences in this informative conversation. Learn more at Barbara’s website:

bkbooks.com

Get the book here

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

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 latest supporter Ronda Violi and to Simply Celebrate for buying me 3 coffees! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.