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 Compassion and Altruism Research and Education and by the Compassion Institute as a Compassion Cultivation Training instructor. As a longtime caregiver himself — and the executive director of the Zen Caregiving Project — Roy Remer understands that strain firsthand. He wrote Zen Caregiving: How to Care for Yourself While Caring for Others to provide practical advice, emotional support, and a path to spiritual solace for caregivers who are doing essential work with minimal support. 

Zen Caregiving is a much-needed companion for anyone seeking steadiness, spiritual grounding, and emotional support while caring for a loved one. The book is divided into four sections — Mindfulness, Compassion, Loss, and Intimacy — that include short chapters and simple practices that can be woven into daily life. 

Connect with Roy Remer: Website: ZenCaregiving.org Socials:  LinkedIn

Connect with HaloCare: Website: halocaregroup.com HaloCare services for healthcare professionals: halocaregroup.com/healthcare-professionals Get more info about HaloCare for yourself or a loved one here Socials:  Facebook Instagram Twitter   LinkedIn Connect with HaloCare by phone at (888) 247-7102 

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.  It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for 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   Instagram   LinkedIn   YouTube

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].

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 from each of them. 2. We are the medicine.  Medications provide relief and mitigation of symptoms, but showing up is powerful. 3.  Dying is primarily a spiritual process - it impacts how someone dies and how long it takes for them to die. 

Connect with Dr. Kevin Dieter: Website: walking-home.com Social media - LinkedIn Watch Dr. Dieter’s TEDx NeoMed Talk

Connect with HaloCare: Website: halocaregroup.com HaloCare services for healthcare professionals: halocaregroup.com/healthcare-professionals Get more info about HaloCare for yourself or a loved one here Socials:  Facebook Instagram Twitter   LinkedIn Connect with HaloCare by phone at (888) 247-7102 

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.  It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for 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   Instagram   LinkedIn   YouTube 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].

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 life wishes changes the kind of care they receive.  

As an end-of-life nurse, coach, and educator, Jan works to facilitate and deepen ACP conversations - earlier and more often. In her book Dying Matters: 8 Conversations That Can Change Your Life and Bold Spirit Caring for the Dying, Jan and co-author fellow hospice nurse Trish Rux bring the reality of mortality and planning for it to the forefront, reminding the reader that end of life planning is really life planning. 

Connect with hospice nurse and EOL doula Jan Booth: The Death Doula Collective at deathdoulas.com Purchase your copy of Dying Matters: 8 Conversations That Can Change Your Life here

Connect with HaloCare: Website: halocaregroup.com HaloCare services for healthcare professionals: halocaregroup.com/healthcare-professionals Get more info about HaloCare for yourself or a loved one here Socials: Facebook Instagram Twitter  LinkedIn Connect with HaloCare by phone at (888) 247-7102 

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. It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care. A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for 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 Instagram LinkedIn YouTube 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].

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 roles that Trish especially loves. Taking time to have those deep conversations, focusing on the personhood, dignity, and spiritual desires of the dying person makes the death easier.  It can ease the grief for family caregivers as a result.  

Connect with hospice nurse and EOL doula Trish Rux: The Death Doula Collective at deathdoulas.com  Purchase your copy of Dying Matters: 8 Conversations That Can Change Your Life here

Connect with HaloCare: Website: halocaregroup.com HaloCare services for healthcare professionals: halocaregroup.com/healthcare-professionals Get more info about HaloCare for yourself or a loved one here Socials:  Facebook Instagram Twitter   LinkedIn Connect with HaloCare by phone at (888) 247-7102 

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.  It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for 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   Instagram   LinkedIn   YouTube

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].

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 and holistic wellness knowledge, Tracy creates a cohesive and strong foundation regardless of the situation people find themselves.

Here are some highlights from this episode:

• Tracy realized her friends (also in their 20’s) didn’t have relatable experience of loss. 
• She advises clients to address not only financial wellness, but physical and mental health as well.
• Dealing with executor tasks after a death impacts family members emotionally. 
• Tracy advises everyone to choose an Appointment Partner, someone who is reliable and trustworthy to attend medical or financial appointments. Good communication skills are essential in an Appointment Partner. 
• Appointment Partners don't have to be family; getting a friend to fil this role can be beneficial.  

Connect with Tracy Heath: LinkedIn: Tracy Heath | LinkedIn Website: www.TracyMHeath.com Link: Tracy M Heath Instagram: Instagram Purchase your copy of Before Goodbye: Your Emotional, Physical and Financial guide When a Loved One is Diagnosed With a Serious Illness on Amazon or Barnes & Noble 

Connect with HaloCare: Website: halocaregroup.com HaloCare services for healthcare professionals: halocaregroup.com/healthcare-professionals Get more info about HaloCare for yourself or a loved one here Socials:  Facebook Instagram Twitter   LinkedIn Connect with HaloCare by phone at (888) 247-7102 

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.  It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for 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   Instagram   LinkedIn   YouTube

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].

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 patients and caregivers as well.  Hospice aides are the backbone of a hospice team, providing personal care that can be as simple as stand-by assistance for a shower, or as complicated as a bed bath for a totally dependent person.   Patients and families form intimate relationships with aides, sharing confidences they would not share with other members of the hospice team.  Aides are often the first witnesses to a change in the patient’s status, injuries, abuse, or caregiver burnout.  Coordinating with the nurse is a big part of the aide’s job. Being clean is part of being comfortable.

Connect with HaloCare: Website: halocaregroup.com HaloCare services for healthcare professionals: halocaregroup.com/healthcare-professionals Get more info about HaloCare for yourself or a loved one here Socials:  Facebook Instagram Twitter   LinkedIn Connect with HaloCare by phone at (888) 247-7102 

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.  It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for 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   Instagram   LinkedIn   YouTube

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].

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 comfortable with the visions as Beatrice declined toward death.  Alexandra describes the joy she found in caring for her mom in her memoir Seeing Joy: A Story of Life, Death, and What Comes Next.

Connect with author Alexandra Grabbe:  Website: AlexandraGrabbe.com Facebook: /alexandra.grabbe Purchase your copy of Seeing Joy: A Story of Life, Death, and What Comes Next. from Koehler Books and online bookshops

Connect with HaloCare: Website: halocaregroup.com HaloCare services for healthcare professionals: halocaregroup.com/healthcare-professionals

Get more info about HaloCare for yourself or a loved one here Socials:  Facebook Instagram Twitter   LinkedIn Connect with HaloCare by phone at (888) 247-7102 

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.  It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for 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   Instagram   LinkedIn   YouTube

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].

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 family with a dying child, including the emotional toll it takes to support parents experiencing anticipatory grief.  Her memoir Learning to Say Goodbye: A Memoir of Grief and Trust offers an honest look at grief without toxic positivity.  

Connect with Pediatric Death Doula and Reiki Master Alexandra Dionisio: Website: learningtosaygoodbye.com Purchase your copy of Learning to Say Goodbye: A Memoir of Grief and Trust on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Strand Books.  Listen to the Learning to Say Goodbye podcast here.

Connect with HaloCare: Website: halocaregroup.com HaloCare services for healthcare professionals: halocaregroup.com/healthcare-professionals Get more info about HaloCare for yourself or a loved one here Socials:  Facebook Instagram Twitter   LinkedIn Connect with HaloCare by phone at (888) 247-7102 

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.  It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for 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   Instagram   LinkedIn   YouTube

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].

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 grief care.  
• Not every form of grief support works for every person - grief support groups or individual therapy might not be accessible or affordable. 
• Some forms of AI can offer a risk to mental and emotional health, but the science around this topic is still developing. More research is needed.

Connect with Melissa Lunardini, PhD, MA, MBA, FT, Chief Clinical Officer of Help Texts: Website: https://helptexts.com/leadership-team/melissa-lunardini/ Help Texts website: helptexts.com Social media for Melissa Lunardini and/or Help Texts: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok

Connect with HaloCare: Website: halocaregroup.com HaloCare services for healthcare professionals: halocaregroup.com/healthcare-professionals Get more info about HaloCare for yourself or a loved one here Socials: Facebook Instagram Twitter  LinkedIn Connect with HaloCare by phone at (888) 247-7102 

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. It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care. A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for 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 Instagram LinkedIn YouTube

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].

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 information about Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking. VSED is an end-of-life option specifically for terminally and seriously ill people that is legal in every state in the U.S. You can learn more at vsedresources.com

Connect with author and VSED advocate Kate Christie: Website: katejchristie.com Goodreads: goodreads.com Barnes and Noble: barnesandnoble.com VSED Resources NW: vsedresources.org

Connect with HaloCare: Website: halocaregroup.com HaloCare services for healthcare professionals: halocaregroup.com/healthcare-professionals Get more info about HaloCare for yourself or a loved one here Socials: Facebook Instagram Twitter  LinkedIn Connect with HaloCare by phone at (888) 247-7102 

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. It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care. A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for 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 Instagram LinkedIn YouTube

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].