The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Dr. Fred Mirarchi is working to create personalized, specific advance care plans for patients, accommodating every stage of life and end of life wish.  After seeing clinicians in the hospital struggle to determine exactly what patients’ wishes were, Fred realized documentation of advance directives didn’t truly communicate clearly.  He and the team at Mideo Health have developed a best-practice mo...

Serene-Meshel Dillman’s documentary series Take Me Out Feet First captures the courage and compassion of people choosing Medical Aid in Dying.  In the six part series, Serene features the end of life journeys of people dealing with terminal illness, as well as both her own parents.  The struggles, grief, joy, and determination of those dying patients and their families shine through in the films. ...

After being a caregiver for her parents and husband, Jennifer O’Brien is empowering caregivers so they come through it healthy physically, emotionally, financially, and mentally. In her new book Care Boss, Jennifer has designed strategies and resources to support caregivers. Her 35+ years in healthcare leadership, partnered with all her years as an unpaid family caregiver, equipped her to write th...

In this second episode in a two part series featuring Dr. Harvey Chochinov, we’re talking about The Platinum Rule.  Providing care through the lens of the end of life provider doesn’t fully recognize the personhood of the patient.  Dr. Chochinov teaches us about The Platinum Rule -  treating others the way they want to be treated, instead of how we would want to be treated if the situation was our...

Dr. Harvey Chochinov is teaching us how to go beyond providing healthcare to provide health-caring for the people we serve.  Patients are people before they need to engage with the healthcare system.  That personhood should be supported and validated with compassion and dignity.  Dr. Chochinov has also led a large program of research on dignity within the healthcare setting, which includes the dev...

Death Doula Darnell Lamont Walker is listening to the dying and speaking up to advocate for their needs.  As a Death Doula who is also male and black, Darnell works to facilitate conversations about death in the black community.  He’s a unique blend of skills and talents - an Emmy-nominated children’s writer, a documentary filmmaker, and a death doula.  Darnell is a listener, a companion to people...

As a nurse and End of Life Doula, Kacie Gikonyo cares for the dying while working to make a lasting impact on end-of-life support.  Kacie realized during the pandemic that she was called to work with the dying.  She trained with INELDA (the International End of Life Doula Association ) to become an End of Life Doula.  Her special area of doula practice is with younger persons with a terminal illne...

Dr. Ira Byock believes hospice can heal its own dysfunction by holding providers and clinicians responsible for the care we provide and how we provide it.  Physician Dr. Ira Byock is a voice for change in the hospice industry, and an advocate for quality end of life care. His many years of experience in hospice medicine, coupled with the compassion he has for people dealing with serious illness, h...

As Editor-in-Chief of The Bucket , David Abend takes on the ultimate marketing challenge: rebranding death by showing how embracing mortality can lead to a more fulfilling life. The Bucket is an online magazine that helps people make choices to reduce deathbed regrets (DBRs). With a background in creative direction and copywriting, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief David Abend has spent decades helpi...

Licensed funeral director and End of Life Doula Christa Ovenell is busting myths about funerals, and sharing practical tips on how to plan a funeral service that reflects your values and needs.  As a community-based Death Educator, Christa is the founder of Death’s Apprentice Education & Planning Inc., a company that specializes in holistic advance care planning for individuals and forward-thi...

Allison Applebaum stood by her dad Stanley as his caregiving partner, respecting his wishes and maintaining his quality of life through the very end of his life.  Allison was previously the Founding Director of the Caregivers Clinic at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the first program of its kind in the United States to provide comprehensive psychosocial care to family members and friends...

In this final episode of our special 4 part series, Hospice Educator Barbara Karnes shares the personal story of her husband’s end of life journey and death.  She opens up about all the emotions she experienced as she and her family supported Jack Karnes after his diagnosis with a terminal illness.  Jack died four months after he was diagnosed with lung cancer.  Barbara and Jack had been married f...

Susan Combs will tell you she had a great dad. Her caregiving experience at the end of his life inspired her to give back to the veteran community.  Susan’s dad Major General Roger E. Combs was a huge influence on her life. Roger battled with throat cancer related to Agent Orange for ten years, eventually dealing with a feeding tube toward the end of his life.  A simple act - his request to eat pa...

After a 40 year hospice career, Barbara Karnes knows a thing or two about end of life care.  Today’s special episode is part 3 of our 4 part series in honor of National Family Caregivers Month and National Hospice and Palliative Care Month.  Barbara calls her introduction to working with the dying “divine intervention” that occurred because of a random connection with a hospice worker.  She spent...

Cuddle Cots and Cuddle Blankets allow families to spend more time with a loved one after a death,  providing an opportunity for end of life workers to do death care better.  Danielle Franck of Flexmort shares her personal experience with a Cuddle Cot in this interview.  *Warning - This episode contains a description of the loss of a stillborn infant. It may not be for all listeners. Please take ca...

In episode two of our special four part series, hospice icon Barbara Karnes shares what it was like working in hospice in the early days, before there was a model for working with the dying. Barbara has worked in end of life care for over 40 years, educating and supporting end of life workers and family caregivers alike.  In this conversation, we talk about what hospice work was like early in her...

When his dad died, Adam Zuckerman created a highly organized kit for managing his estate.  As founder of Buried in Work, he helps people get their end-of-life preparation in place.  Adam’s family learned the ins and outs of hospice as they supported his dad at the end of his battle with leukemia.  Although their time using hospice care was short, Adam saw the benefits of end of life care first han...

In honor of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month - and National Family Caregivers Month - we’re featuring a special 4-part series with special guest Barbara Karnes, Hospice Nurse and End of Life Educator.  In the first episode of the series, Barbara shares how she got started in end of life care back before the Medicare hospice benefit was established in the 1980’s. Here are some highlights...

Death educator Lee Warren believes preparing for death in advance makes a good death possible.  Over a period of two years, she experienced several deaths in her small community of 125 people, teaching her the best lessons about death as she cared for them.   Those deaths, and the generous people who experienced them, offered an incredible opportunity for Lee to reweave a more holistic approach to...

Serious illness and caregiving can be isolating. GrandPad’s AI technology keeps seniors safely connected to loved ones. Isaac Lien and his dad Scott co-founded GrandPad to meet the needs they saw in Scott’s mom. Their new AI app Grandie offers audio interaction for the user without requiring a certain format, and even learns the user’s voice and way of speaking. Because GrandPad’s network is priva...

Virginia Marcolin’s background in fashion and textiles led her to start designing burial shrouds, experimenting with luxurious natural fabrics and vegetable dyes. The result was Sanctum, a brand of high-end scented burial shrouds for the natural funeral industry. Virginia sources a variety of high-quality organic fabrics which are soft to the touch and biodegradable. Fabrics are colored with non-t...

My guest Susan Hearn is talking about how she is moved and motivated by her work as executive director of a residential hospice home, and why she stays in this industry.  #hospice #endoflife #death #dying #caregiver #caregiving https://pod.co/the-heart-of-hospice-podcast/quality-care-is-the-goal-at-residential-hospice-homes Residential hospice homes provide compassionate caregiving support for the...

The last conversation you want to have shouldn’t be the last one you do have.  Filmmaker Johanna Lunn is using her lifelong curiosity about death to bring documentaries about "What happens when we die," to life. She’s the co-founder of the When You Die Project which hosts a resource-rich website, podcast, and documentary trilogy.    The When You Die Project is here to facilitate a cultural dialogu...

Rosanne Corcoran, host of Daughter the Podcast is sharing her best advice about being a caregiver for a person dealing with dementia. As caregiver to her mother for 12 years, Rosanne learned how to navigate the healthcare system as an advocate, deal with sleep deprivation, and to care for herself along the way. Rosanne Corcoran is the creator and host of Daughterhood the Podcast.  She is also a Da...

Hospice nurse and End of Life Doula Gabby Jimenez of The Hospice Heart is our guest host for today’s episode, featuring a discussion of Hospice Navigation Services. When you’re looking at making decisions about end of life care for yourself or someone you love, things can seem frightening and confusing. Hospice Navigation Services can help you figure things out.  We can help you feel just a little...