Catherine Ashton
Don't Be Caught Dead
Don't Be Caught Dead is a podcast about the conversations most of us avoid — until we’re forced to have them. Each episode brings you honest, accessible conversations with experts across end-of-life, health, legal, financial, and care industries , alongside people with lived experience , to help you better understand your end-of-life choices and how to prepare a practical backup plan if you fall ill, become incapacitated, or die. Hosted by Catherine Ashton , award-winning speaker and founder of Critical Info , the podcast is grounded in lived experience — created so other people don’t have to...
Author
Catherine Ashton
Category
Podcast website
Latest episode
Jul 8, 2026
Where to listen?
Podcasts in the app Replaio Radio Coming soonPodcasts are coming to the app soon. Install now and be the first to see a whole new take on podcasts
Episodes
ENCORE: Facing Death: Moira Kelly's Mission to Save Lives 14.01.2026 1:00:59
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) What does it mean to TRULY save a life? For humanitarian Moira Kelly, the answer was simple—give a part of herself. In this episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, we dive deep into the extraordinary life of Moira Kelly, a remarkable humanitarian whose journey has been defined by compassion, courage, and the gift of life. From her early dreams of wo...
ENCORE: Time’s Up: Facing Death and Finding Your Life List 07.01.2026 45:08
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) Are you making the most of your time before death catches us all? In this heartfelt episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I chat with Kate Christie, Australia’s leading time management expert, about how loss and grief can be the wake-up call we need to live intentionally. Kate shares her personal story of losing her ex-husband to pancreatic cancer...
ENCORE: Embracing Grief: The Art of Memorialisation with Chloe Marcela Coelho 31.12.2025 55:05
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) What if the objects we hold dear could help us navigate the complex journey of grief? In this episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I sit down with Chloe Marcela Coelho, a passionate death scholar and creative practitioner who dives deep into the intricate dimensions of death, grief, and design. Chloe's work is all about enhancing our underst...
ENCORE: Who’s Really at Risk? Understanding Elder Abuse 24.12.2025 1:19:12
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) Have you ever thought about who might be the biggest threat to the elderly in our lives? It’s not just the faceless strangers in nursing homes; it’s often their own family members. In this eye-opening episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I chat with William J. Betts, a legal expert in family violence and elder rights at Peninsula Community Legal...
ENCORE: Living Well to Die Well: A Philosophical Perspective 17.12.2025 59:55
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) This is an encore episode of the Don't Be Caught Dead podcast and a listener favourite from Season 2. In this thought-provoking episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I sit down with Dr. Simon Longstaff, a philosopher and the first executive director of the Ethics Centre. We dive deep into the complexities of life, death, and everything in bet...
ENCORE: This Is What Dignity Looks Like: A Daughter’s Story in Support of Voluntary Assisted Dying 10.12.2025 57:52
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) This is an encore episode of the Don't Be Caught Dead podcast and a listener favourite from Season 2. In this heartfelt episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I sit down with Barb Gering, who shares her deeply personal journey as she navigated her mother's cancer diagnosis and the complexities of voluntary assisted dying. Barb's stor...
ENCORE: Grief Without Permission: Rosie Batty on Challenging Silence and Speaking Truth 03.12.2025 1:06:42
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) This is an encore episode of the Don't Be Caught Dead podcast and a listener favourite from Season 2. In this powerful episode, I sit down with the incredible Rosie Batty, a fierce advocate for family violence prevention and a beacon of resilience following the tragic murder of her son, Luke. Rosie’s journey through grief, PTSD, and healing i...
No More Death Denial: Alicia Ng's Story of Turning Fear into End-of-Life Wisdom 26.11.2025 46:48
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) Ever wondered how staring down your deepest fear of death could actually make you live bolder and more intentionally? That's exactly what today's guest, Alicia Ng, discovered on her wild journey from corporate life in Singapore to end-of-life planning in Australia. Alicia, a brand and content marketing whiz turned author, opened up about...
When There's No Funeral: Honouring Babies Lost Before 20 Weeks with Melissa King 19.11.2025 58:04
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) When Melissa King lost her baby in 2011, she discovered an unexpected silence. No information, no pathway to support, and very few people willing to talk openly about miscarriage. Out of that heartbreak, she founded Miscarriage Information Support Service (MISS), Australia’s first miscarriage-specific not-for-profit providing free resources, care...
Beyond the Grave: Fighting Heteronormativity in Funerals and Weddings 12.11.2025 1:07:13
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) Imagine a gay man planning his own funeral, only for his family to swoop in and rewrite everything. That’s what one of Bronte Price’s clients faced, and he had to fight to honour his wishes. In this episode I chat with Bronte Price, “your gay celebrant,” Australia’s trailblazing LGBTQIA+ celebrant shaking up weddings and funerals. We talk about bi...
Facing Death Head-On: A Doula's Guide to End-of-Life Care 05.11.2025 54:32
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) Ever wondered what really happens in those final moments before someone dies, or how a death doula can turn a family's grief into something meaningful? In this episode, I chat with Barb Ferguson, a seasoned end-of-life doula, about her hands-on work with dying, death, and everything after. It's raw, real, and full of insights that might...
Meaning Over Ministry: Jim's Unique Approach to Grief and Funerals 29.10.2025 55:43
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) What do you give the love of your life as a final birthday gift when they only have days left? That's the tender moment Reverend Jim Colville shares with us in this powerful chat. It's an act of love that perfectly sums up Jim's radical, non-judgemental approach to life, death, and dying. Jim, the man who started Colony 47 in Hobart...
The Fabric of Dying: How a Stitched Map Sparks End-of-Life Talks 22.10.2025 59:20
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) Ever wondered if a simple box of fabric and words could unlock the toughest chats about dying? In this episode, I dive into the world of the Bioscope with Chetan Shastri, a Melbourne designer who's turned death into a navigable map – literally. It’s not some dusty chart; it’s a tactile, embroidered toolkit that sparks real talk about end-of-l...
Building Resilience: How Architecture and Landscape Can Assist With the Process of Grieving 15.10.2025 54:50
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) Ever wondered how architecture and landscape can turn contested land into a living tribute to lives lost and those affected by family violence? In this episode, I chat with Amy Muir, director of Muir Architecture, about designing Victoria's Family Violence Memorial located next to the Parliament Precinct in East Melbourne. It's a reminde...
Facing the Unfathomable – Grief, Suicide, and Living Fully After Loss 08.10.2025 1:11:54
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) Ever wondered what it’s like to face death – not your own, but the sudden loss of a child to suicide? In this raw and moving chat, I sit down with Christine Pedley , a grief counsellor, death doula, and author who turned unimaginable pain into purpose. If you’ve ever felt lost in the silence around death and dying, this episode reminds you that ta...
TIME'S UP: Facing Death and Finding Your LIFE LIST 01.10.2025 45:08
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) Are you making the most of your time before death catches us all? In this heartfelt episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I chat with Kate Christie, Australia’s leading time management expert, about how loss and grief can be the wake-up call we need to live intentionally. Kate shares her personal story of losing her ex-husband to pancreatic cancer...
Advance Care Planning: The Gift of CHOICE Before Death 24.09.2025 1:04:08
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) Are you ready to face death head-on? In this episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I chat with Rose Sexton, a seasoned nurse and passionate palliative care educator from Wangaratta, Northeast Victoria. Rose shares her deep insights into palliative care, advance care planning, and the importance of having honest conversations about death and dying...
Death, Grief and Ritual: Lessons from an Interfaith Minister 17.09.2025 1:09:31
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) What does it mean to “do death differently”? In this episode of Don’t Be Caught Dead , I sit down with Reverend Amy Firth — interfaith minister, funeral director, and spiritual counsellor — to talk about her incredible journey through grief, loss, and finding her calling in end-of-life care. From training in London with the One Spirit Interfaith F...
Voluntary Assisted Dying: The Doctors Who See Death Differently 10.09.2025 54:45
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) What does it really look like to face death with choice, dignity and clarity? In this episode of Don’t Be Caught Dead , I sit down with two doctors who’ve seen death from every angle — and who aren’t afraid to talk about it. I’m joined by Dr Nick Carr, one of the first GPs in Victoria to be involved in voluntary assisted dying, and Dr Kane Treble,...
How My Sister’s Death at Four Shaped My Life 03.09.2025 1:21:22
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) What happens when death touches your family before you even understand what it means? In this episode of Don’t Be Caught Dead , I sit down with funeral celebrant Leonie Fletcher Adams, whose life was profoundly shaped when her sister died at just four years old. That childhood loss not only shaped her family but also planted the seed for a lifelon...
VAD: Choice, Compassion, and the End of Life. 27.08.2025 1:09:52
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) We all know death is coming for us, yet most of us avoid talking about it like it’s the plague. In this episode, I sit down with Baci Hillyer for an honest, heartfelt conversation about why facing our mortality head-on, including the controversial topic of assisted dying, can change the way we live. Baci and I dive into the uncomfortable yet essen...
FOUND Family: The Importance of Compassion in Grief 20.08.2025 59:18
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) What if I told you that talking about death could be one of the most empowering conversations you ever have? In this episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I sit down with Dr. Annetta Mallon, a leading expert in grief loss education and end-of-life care, to explore the profound impact of embracing death and the importance of open dialogue around it...
Weaving Life and Death: The Art of Eco-Friendly Coffins 13.08.2025 48:12
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) What if the way we say goodbye could heal both our hearts and the planet? In this profound episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, we sit down with Zimmi Forest, fibre artist, environmentalist, and creator of handwoven eco-coffins that challenge everything we think we know about death. Zimmi doesn’t just make baskets; she crafts vessels that reconne...
The Gift of Life: Adele's Journey Through Grief and Organ Donation 06.08.2025 39:28
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) What happens when your worst nightmare becomes your greatest gift to strangers? Adele shares the moment her son's death transformed into hope. In this heartfelt episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I sit down with Adele, a mother who faced the unimaginable loss of her son, Dan, in 2020. Dan's tragic accident not only shattered Adele&apo...
FACING DEATH: Moira Kelly's Mission to Save Lives 30.07.2025 1:00:59
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-) What does it mean to TRULY save a life? For humanitarian Moira Kelly, the answer was simple—give a part of herself. In this episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, we dive deep into the extraordinary life of Moira Kelly, a remarkable humanitarian whose journey has been defined by compassion, courage, and the gift of life. From her early dreams of wo...
Similar podcasts
Replaio is not a podcast publisher; show names, artwork and audio belong to their authors and are distributed through public RSS feeds.