The International End of Life Doula Association believes everyone deserves compassionate, respectful care at the end of life.  Executive Director Doug Simpson is working with the INELDA team to make that happen.  Doug’s journey to EOL doula work began with the death of his own father, followed by the birth of his son. Drawn to end of life work, Doug trained as a doula in 2018 and became an INELDA volunteer in 2019.  He moved into the Executive Director position in 2022, and has never lost sight of the personal experiences that have guided his work.  Reflecting back, Doug realizes the similarities between birth and death, and the deeply spiritual experiences of both these life events.  He works with INELDA now to ensure that everyone has access to end of life care, resources to make that death an enriched experience, and education to promote growth and acceptance of the work of end of life doulas.

You can find the work of the International End of Life Doula Association at inelda.org Read more about INELDA Executive Director Douglas Simpson here. Looking to find an INELDA doula in your area?  Click here. Find out how EOL doulas serve the seriously ill and dying here.   Facebook Instagram

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible.  And we believe you deserve to get good hospice care.  If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help.  Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95.  If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website:  theheartofhospice.com Social media:  Facebook     Twitter    Instagram   LinkedIn Email:  [email protected] More podcast episodes:  The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Podcast host Helen Bauer is a great addition to your event or conference! For speaking inquiries, send an email to [email protected].

Trigger Warning: The content of this episode includes narratives about seriously ill children. If you need to sit this one out, catch up with us on another episode and please take time to care for yourself.

In his memoir titled “Because I Knew You: How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed a Doctor’s Soul”, Dr. Robert Macauley tells the story of the patients who have impacted his life, and how he’s changed for good. As a pediatric palliative care physician, Bob walks alongside kids and their parents through serious illnesses. Those experiences have shaped who he is, what he believes and how he practices medicine.  

Buy your copy of “Because I Knew You: How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed a Doctor’s Soul” on Amazon Barnes & Noble   Watch Dr. Macaulay’s TEDx talk here.

 You can find the Approaching Death Support Kit at bkbooks.com. Find all of Barbara Karnes’ products and resources at bkbooks.com. Read Barbara’s blog at bkbooks.com. Connect with Barbara Karnes on Facebook IG LinkedIn Twitter (X)  YouTube

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible. And we believe you deserve to get good hospice care.  If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95. If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions. A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website: theheartofhospice.com Social media: Facebook  Twitter  Instagram LinkedIn Email: [email protected] More podcast episodes: The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Podcast host Helen Bauer is a great addition to your event or conference! For speaking inquiries, send an email to [email protected].

DNP Elena Prendergast is empowering people with serious illness to find their voices, and advocate for their best quality of life.  Working with patients who are dealing with end of life issues showed her how much extra support is needed, even when there’s a healthcare team providing care.  Elena helps clients navigate the confusing maze of the US healthcare system.  She listens to what they think is important, and equips them with the tools to make their needs and wishes known.  Her education as a doctorally prepared nurse practitioner with extensive experience in palliative care, additional training in trauma/resilience, and the sacred work of an end-of-life doula provides a unique perspective of the needs of clients with serious-illness. 

If you’re a patient, a caregiver or loved one, or a long-distance caregiver, you can work with Elena at Tree of Life Health Consultant by visiting treeoflifehealthconsultant.com.   Connect with Elena Prendergast, DNP on social media:  Facebook     Instagram     LinkedIn

You can find the Approaching Death Support Kit at bkbooks.com. Find all of Barbara Karnes’ products and resources at bkbooks.com. Read Barbara’s blog at bkbooks.com. Connect with Barbara Karnes on Facebook   IG   LinkedIn   Twitter (X)    YouTube

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible.  And we believe you deserve to get good hospice care.  If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help.  Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95.  If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website:  theheartofhospice.com Social media:  Facebook     Twitter    Instagram   LinkedIn Email:  [email protected] More podcast episodes:  The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Podcast host Helen Bauer is a great addition to your event or conference! For speaking inquiries, send an email to [email protected].

Palliative physician Emma Jones knows the real effects of burnout, and now she’s coaching others to rise from the ashes. While working in a high-pressure pediatric palliative care job, she found herself suffering the fallout of severe burnout. Emma was told to go home and figure out what was going on, but she realized there was no guide for how to do that. She began dealing with depression, trying to rebuild her self care. The care started with yoga, and grew to include healthy habits including daily movement, therapy, rest, and boundary setting. She calls them “small, radical changes”. Emma wanted to give other people a way out of their own burnout and validate their experiences. Her book The Phoenix Blueprint: Emerging Stronger From The Blaze of Healthcare, shares the skills and practices that have allowed her to emerge stronger from burnout and rediscover her calling to serve patients and colleagues. The Phoenix Blueprint provides a step-by-step guide to help those in healthcare rise like a phoenix from the ashes.

Connect with Dr. Emma Jones: LinkedIn Facebook Instagram       Website: emmajonesmd.com Work with Dr. Jones to reclaim your career from burnout. Purchase your copy of The Phoenix Blueprint: Emerging Stronger From The Blaze of Healthcare here.

You can find the Approaching Death Support Kit at bkbooks.com. Find all of Barbara Karnes’ products and resources at bkbooks.com. Read Barbara’s blog at bkbooks.com. Connect with Barbara Karnes on Facebook IG LinkedIn Twitter (X)  YouTube

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible. And we believe you deserve to get good hospice care.  If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95. If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions. A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website: theheartofhospice.com Social media: Facebook  Twitter  Instagram LinkedIn Email: [email protected]

More podcast episodes: The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Podcast host Helen Bauer is a great addition to your event or conference! For speaking inquiries, send an email to [email protected].

With honest information and gentle humor, the founders of Before the Casket are teaching us how to plan for more than just funeral arrangements. Hospice nurses Erin Putney and Amy Hensley have designed workshops that educate attendees about hard end of life decisions, empowering them and their decision-makers and making the whole experience easier. Before the Casket also provides education for healthcare professionals, offering content on end of life interventions and compassionate conversations. Nurses can even get CEUs for license renewal. 

Amy and Erin provide education that includes demos of medical devices and relaxed interaction. It’s a great way to create realistic expectations for what care at the end of life looks like. You can connect with Before the Casket at beforethecasket.com Check out the courses offered for nurses and other healthcare workers here.

You can find the Approaching Death Support Kit at bkbooks.com. Find all of Barbara Karnes’ products and resources at bkbooks.com. Read Barbara’s blog at bkbooks.com. Connect with Barbara Karnes on Facebook IG LinkedIn Twitter (X)  YouTube

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible. And we believe you deserve to get good hospice care. If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95. If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions. A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer

Website: theheartofhospice.com

Social media: Facebook  Twitter  Instagram LinkedIn

Email: [email protected]

More podcast episodes: The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Podcast host Helen Bauer is a great addition to your event or conference! For speaking inquiries, send an email to [email protected].

In this open and vulnerable interview, Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider talks about her caregiving experiences during her dad’s illness and death. Shoshana discovered early on that she wasn’t prepared for the complicated decision making that comes with serious illness caregiving, despite her medical training. Reflecting back at the experience, she talks openly about what she would have done differently. Difficult conversations about treatment, challenges with appetite and weight loss, and the genetic implications for Shoshana and her sister were all issues surrounding her father’s illness.  

You can connect with End Well at endwellproject.org Listen to the Before We Go podcast here  Find more information about End Well 2025 here Find Shoshana on Instagram

You can find the Approaching Death Support Kit at bkbooks.com. Find all of Barbara Karnes’ products and resources at bkbooks.com. Read Barbara’s blog at bkbooks.com. Connect with Barbara Karnes on Facebook IG LinkedIn Twitter (X)  YouTube

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible.  If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95. If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions. A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. We believe you deserve to have good hospice care. Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer

Website: theheartofhospice.com Social media: Facebook  Twitter  Instagram LinkedIn Email: [email protected] More podcast episodes: The Heart of Hospice Podcast Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to [email protected].

End of life option advocate Dan Diaz is sharing the story of his wife Brittany Maynard and her pursuit  of a gentle death. Diagnosed at age 29 with a terminal brain tumor, Brittany chose to move 600 miles to a state that allowed for death with dignity, utilizing Medical Aid in Dying.  In this powerful interview, Dan describes the impact of her life and death on compassionate death choices and legislation.  

Since Brittany’s death in 2014, Medical Aid in Dying laws have expanded to eleven states in the U.S.  Dan continues to tell their story, advocating for expansion of death with dignity laws to every state.  We continue to learn from her experience and fierce determination to ensure the kind of death she wanted. 

Connect with Dan Diaz on Facebook

Read more about Brittany Maynard at thebrittanyfund.org

Find more information about Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) at compassionandchoices.org

You can find the Approaching Death Support Kit at bkbooks.com.

Find all of Barbara Karnes’ products and resources at bkbooks.com.

Read Barbara’s blog at bkbooks.com.

Connect with Barbara Karnes on Facebook   IG   LinkedIn   Twitter (X)    YouTube

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible.  If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help.  Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95.  If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. We believe you deserve to have good hospice care.  Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer

Website:  theheartofhospice.com

Social media:  Facebook     Twitter    Instagram   LinkedIn

Email:  [email protected]

More podcast episodes:  The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to [email protected].

Hospice nurse Beth Cavenaugh helps to clear up confusion around live discharges from hospice services.  Sometimes people on hospice care improve or stabilize, and no longer meet the criteria to receive care from the hospice agency.  The discharge process can be confusing, and it’s important to know the things that need to happen.  Here are a few highlights from this episode:

• Live discharges are initiated by the hospice agency when the patient no longer qualifies.
• Sometimes hospice patients improve because the care has become consistent, or their condition simply gets better.  Their disease process may stabilize. 
• Hospice staff are required to give the patient and caregiver notice of the discharge according to state and federal requirements.
• Discharge planning should ALWAYS happen - the nurse handles the clinical items (medications, equipment, a new healthcare provider/team), and the social worker handles the psychosocial concerns (caregiving assistance, community resources and support). 
• The patient or decision maker has the right to file an appeal if they don’t agree with the discharge from hospice services. 
• The hospice agency is required to continue providing services until the decision about the appeal is received.  
• Here’s a link with information about hospice appeals:   What to Know About Hospice Appeals

Connect with guest host hospice nurse Beth Cavenaugh at bethcavenaugh.com Buy Beth’s book Some Light at the End: Your Bedside Guide for Peaceful Palliative and Hospice Care Buy The Power and Pain of Nursing: Self-Care Practices to Protect and Replenish Compassion.

You can find the Approaching Death Support Kit at bkbooks.com.

Find all of Barbara Karnes’ products and resources at bkbooks.com.

Read Barbara’s blog at bkbooks.com.

Connect with Barbara Karnes on Facebook   IG   LinkedIn   Twitter (X)    YouTube

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible.  If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help.  Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95.  If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. We believe you deserve to have good hospice care.  Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer

Website:  theheartofhospice.com

Social media:  Facebook     Twitter    Instagram   LinkedIn

Email:  [email protected]

More podcast episodes:  The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to [email protected].

Author and Alzheimer’s caregiver Marianne Scuicco shares her powerful story of caring for her mother and stepdad through dementia diagnosis and end of life. She describes the roller coaster of her caregiving journey, all the ups and downs that her family experienced. After her stepfather was diagnosed with mixed dementia and her mother declined, Marianne and her siblings had to find a balance to ensure they were well cared for. She’s able to say she has very few regrets about her time as a caregiver, feeling she gave her best to the caregiving job. As cohost of the Alz Authors podcast, Marianne continues to support other caregivers dealing with the same challenges. 

Marianne Sciucco is a founder of AlzAuthors.com, the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer’s and dementia from personal experience. It is the most comprehensive, single source in the world for dementia literature curated by former caregivers and authors. Marianne serves as board president, manager, and producer and co-host of their podcast, Untangling Alzheimer’s and Dementia. A registered nurse who cared for hundreds of individuals and families impacted by dementia, she is a former caregiver to her stepfather who had mixed dementia, and her mother who did not have dementia. She is the author of Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story. 

Connect with Marianne Scuicco, author of Blue Hydrangeas and cohost of the Alz Authors Podcast:

Website: mariannesciucco.com

Website: alzauthors.com

Podcast: alzauthors.co: /podcast

Social Media for Marianne Scuicco: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Bluesky Threads 

Purchase your copy of Blue Hydrangeas: A Alzheimer’s Love Story

You can find the Approaching Death Support Kit at bkbooks.com.

Find all of Barbara Karnes’ products and resources at bkbooks.com.

Read Barbara’s blog at bkbooks.com.

Connect with Barbara Karnes on Facebook IG LinkedIn Twitter (X)  YouTube

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible.  If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95. If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions. A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. We believe you deserve to have good hospice care. Book your session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer

Website: theheartofhospice.com

Social media: Facebook  Twitter  Instagram LinkedIn

We’re getting back to the basics of hospice care, sharing information about complaints, when to make them, and what should happen when you do. Hospice Social Worker Lisa Pahl (creator of The Death Deck and End of Life Deck) helps drive this discussion. Here are a few highlights from our discussion: •Patients and/or caregivers have a right to make a complaint.  •There are numerous reasons a complaint might be needed: visits aren’t being made, symptoms aren’t being managed, response time is slow, or the care is out of alignment with the beliefs or needs of the patient. •Care of a hospice patient should never be rough or insensitive - this is always a reason to make a complaint. •If delivery of medications or medical equipment (DME) is very late or doesn’t happen, a complaint should be made. •A complaint can be given directly to the case manager or director/administrator of the agency.  •The hospice agency should immediately investigate, talk to everyone involved, and work to resolve the issue to the satisfaction of the patient or caregiver. •If the hospice agency doesn’t resolve the complaint in a timely manner or to the point the patient/caregiver is satisfied, the complaint can be elevated to the state organization that provides licensure to hospice agencies. It might be the Health and Human Services Department for the state. •The hospice agency is required to furnish the patient/caregiver with contact information about making complaints, including the information for their accrediting organization. (This could be Joint Commission, CHAP, or ACHC). 

Connect with Lisa Pahl, owner/creator (thedeathdeck.com) The Death Deck and End of Life Deck     Find The Death Deck on social media: Facebook  IG  LinkedIn

You can find the Approaching Death Support Kit at bkbooks.com.

Find all of Barbara Karnes’ products and resources at bkbooks.com.

Read Barbara’s blog at bkbooks.com.

Connect with Barbara Karnes on Facebook IG LinkedIn Twitter (X)  YouTube

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible.  If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95. If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions. A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. We believe you deserve to have good hospice care.  Book your session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer

Website: theheartofhospice.com

Socialmedia: Facebook  Twitter  Instagram LinkedIn