End-of-Life University

Learn how an innovative curriculum is tackling loneliness and social isolation in older adults and bridging the generation gap. My guest Dr. Jeremy Holloway is Assistant Professor and Director of Geriatric Education at the University of North Dakota. He discusses his research which focuses on the social determinants of health, specifically self-efficacy, connectedness, and resiliency of older adults. Dr. Holloway will share information about the intergenerational curriculum he created, called Tellegacy, that helps combat the social isolation and loneliness of older adults. Learn more at these websites: jeremyholloway.com tellegacy.org YouTube Channel Listen here: This episode includes: What inspired Jeremy to focus on older adults in his work The impact of loneliness and social isolation on public health How the Tellegacy curriculum bridges the generation gap and enhances the lives of older adults The value of Tellegacy for preparing healthcare students to care for older adults in the future How the Tellegacy program has evolved since its inception Tools and activities used in Tellegacy to contribute to the well-being of older adults Stories from the students and older adults participating in Tellegacy How Tellegacy can also be used for healthcare staffs and other individuals How the program has been adopted by nursing homes, Meals on Wheels and health insurance companies How to get involved with and support Tellegacy Links mentioned in this episode: Email Jeremy for more information: Jeremy.Holloway@tellegacy.org Buy a ticket for the Film Premiere for Architecture of Death NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving Get my two new books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death Get EOLU Podcast Merch here Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, Behind the Scenes Bonus content, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! Buy me a coffee Donate on Paypal 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 newest donors Megan Baird, Alida Merrill, and Lynn Wittenberg. Also thank you to everyone who has bought me a coffee or joined the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Learn about a trilogy of documentary films that inform and inspire conversations about death, dying and the afterlife. My guest Johanna Lunn is an award-winning producer, director, and writer, who has crafted many compelling, entertaining, and profoundly thought-provoking programs during her 20+ years in the business. She is the director and producer of the When You Die Documentary Trilogy. Johanna discusses how she founded WhenYouDie.org to foster awareness about death by curating many voices to share their stories–from palliative care clinicians, death doulas and the bereaved, to poets, comedians, and artists. Learn more at the website: whenyoudie.org YouTube Channel Listen here: This episode includes: What inspired Johanna to create this series of films How she gathered the speakers she interviewed for each film Why we need to look ahead to create something new rather than relying on what has worked in the past The need for both a “curing team” and a “healing team” What Johanna has learned about death, dying and the afterlife from creating the When You Die Project Who can benefit from these films and her long term goals for them How to watch and share these three documentaries with others Links mentioned in this episode: Buy a ticket for the Film Premiere for Architecture of Death on Feb. 24th NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving Get my two new books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death Get EOLU Podcast Merch here Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, Behind the Scenes Bonus content, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! Buy me a coffee Donate on Paypal 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 newest donors Jane Whitlock, Robin Mallor, Carla Wheeler, and 4Brigid.  Also thank you to Dana Tuttle for buying me 3 coffees and Lisa Creeden for joining the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Learn about a helpful new tool kit that’s not just for end-of-life doulas but can benefit anyone who cares for others at the end of life. My three guests this week, Diane Button, Gabby Elise Jimenez, and Angela Shook, are all end-of-life doulas who have teamed up to create a helpful guidebook for other doulas: The Doula Tool Kit: The Complete Practical Guide for End-of-Life Doulas and Caregivers. We’ll learn all about the book and how this trio came together to write it. Plus they’ll share some of their tips for doulas and what motivates them to do this work. Learn more at their websites: DianeButton.com thehospiceheart.net AngelaShook.com Get the book here YouTube Channel Listen here: This episode includes: How these three doulas connected to collaborate on this project Why a “doula tool kit” is needed right now for new doulas after training What’s included in the book Who can benefit from the contents of the book The power of collaboration and why we need more of it in the end-of-life field Why the book is not just for doulas but also for lay people and family caregivers Why some doulas for humans may also want to get training as companion animal doulas Links mentioned in this episode: NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving Get my two new books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death Get EOLU Podcast Merch here Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, Behind the Scenes Bonus content, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! Buy me a coffee Donate on Paypal 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 newest donor Jan Booth and to Linda Read for increasing your pledge.  Also thank you to everyone who has bought me a coffee or joined the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Enjoy this deep and soulful conversation with “The Griefwalker” Stephen Jenkinson. My guest Stephen Jenkinson is the author of the award-winning book Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul and the creator and principal instructor of the Orphan Wisdom School. He discusses the Nights of Grief and Mystery project, which he created with singer/songwriter Gregory Hoskins, and how they have been touring the world with this profound musical and storytelling show. Stephen shares his thoughts on the crises of our contemporary society and how to proceed in the midst of our deep sorrow. Learn more about Stephen’s work at his website: orphanwisdom.com Get Stephen’s book here Watch on YouTube Listen here: This episode includes: How Stephen views his “audience” as allies Tips for being fully present during performances on tour A reading of the Invocation from the show “Rage is what you do when you don’t know how to have a broken heart” Why happiness is a by-product of living life a certain way, not a goal of life Why age + experience does not add up to wisdom How the second half of life differs from the first (and what to do about it) “Crisis” literally means the place where the roads cross and a choice must be made Why Stephen says hope doesn’t belong in a time such as ours Links mentioned in this episode: Get my two new books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death Get EOLU Podcast Merch here Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! Buy me a coffee Donate on Paypal 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 those who’ve bought me a coffee! Also many thanks to all of you who joined the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Learn how hospice chaplains can offer support to people who choose medical aid in dying. My guest Dr. Terri Daniel is an inter-spiritual hospice chaplain, end-of-life educator, and grief counselor, who is the author of four books on death, grief and the afterlife, and a frequent guest on the podcast. Today Terri and I talk about medical aid in dying from a chaplain’s perspective and she discusses her experiences working for a hospice in Oregon that provides support for MAID. Learn more about Terri’s work at her website: danieldirect.net Watch on YouTube Listen here: This episode includes: The history of medical aid in dying in Oregon How EOLCOR (End-of-Life Choices Oregon) assists people who want to utilize medical aid in dying The wide variations in hospice policies around medical aid in dying Dilemmas around communicating with family members who don’t support MAID How MAID differs from suicide and why we need to understand that difference A beautiful end-of-life ritual Terri created for a person utilizing MAID Why some chaplains feel conflicted about supporting medical aid in dying Religious objections to MAID The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy about MAID in some hospices Dementia directive for advance care planning Links mentioned in this episode: Death and Grief Worker Collective on Instagram Casting Call for new docuseries on grief; email GriefShowCasting@gmail.com if you are interested in participating Register for Workshop with Francesca Lynn Arnoldy on January 30th NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving Previous interview with Terri Daniel Dementia Advance Directive Tool from Compassion and Choices Get my two new books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death Get EOLU Podcast Merch here Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! Buy me a coffee Donate on Paypal 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 newest donor Kathleen Behrens.  Also thank you to Tom Waknitz and Carew Papritz for joining the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Learn tips for choosing the best hospice and asking all the right questions. This week I welcome back my recurring guest Barbara Karnes RN, hospice nurse, author, speaker, thought leader and expert on end-of-life care. She is the author of ‘the little blue hospice book, Gone from My Sight and the recently published By Your Side: A Guide for Caring for the Dying at Home. Today we discuss why we hope people will choose hospice for care at the end of life and how to choose the right hospice for their loved one. Learn more about Barbara’s work at her website: www.bkbooks.com Get the book here. Watch on YouTube Listen here: This episode includes: Why we need to do our own research on hospices that are available to us How Medicare-certified hospices can differ from one another The importance of having a primary nurse assigned to each hospice patient Why you need to ask about the availability of inpatient care for private pay Understand that families have to provide the 24/7 care at home Ask how often visits will occur and how long each visit will last Ask if staff members prioritize being there at the time of death Find out how quickly first visit will occur Don’t just go with the hospice recommended by the hospital discharge planner Ask about the quality of bereavement support offered Links mentioned in this episode: Casting Call for new docuseries on grief; email GriefShowCasting@gmail.com if you are interested in participating Register for Workshop with Francesca Lynn Arnoldy on January 30th NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving FREE Doulagivers Level 1 Training for EOL Family Caregivers Get my two new books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death Get EOLU Podcast Merch here Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! Buy me a coffee Donate on Paypal 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 newest donor Deborah Laukaitis.  Also thank you to Dana Tuttle for buying me a 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 what it actually means to “hold space” for others during times of challenge. My guest Amy Wright Glenn is a Kripalu Yoga teacher, birth and death doula, hospital chaplain, and prenatal yoga and wellness instructor. She is the founder of the Institute for the study of Birth, Breath, and Death, known for its teacher training programs. Amy is the author of the book Holding Space: On Loving, Dying, and Letting Go, which she discusses today. Amy shares what it means to hold space and how we learn to practice that. Learn more at her website: www.birthbreathanddeath.com Get the book here Watch on YouTube Listen here: This episode includes: How Amy came to create the Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath and Death How birth and death are connected What it means to “hold space” for others Practices for learning how to hold space The “companioning model” of grief support How to hold space for pregnancy loss Training course for facilitators of pregnancy loss support groups Links mentioned in this episode: Listen to the BONUS recording on Casting Call for the Grief Docuseries here and email Kim Clevenger at GriefShowCasting@gmail.com if you are interested! Register for Workshop with Francesca Lynn Arnoldy on January 30th FREE Doulagivers Level 1 Training for EOL Family Caregivers Get my two new books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death Get EOLU Podcast Merch here Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, occasional movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! Buy me a coffee Donate on Paypal 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 newest donors Marian Folkemer, Monica Czaplinski, Jan Wiebking, Neo Sakurai, Chrissi Guerin, Donna Fleming and to Joy and Suzanne for increasing your pledges.  Also thank you to Sam Cash, Mark Langlois and “Someone” for buying me coffees and to Shannon Tolson, Sylvia Sigurdson, Jeya Venugopalakrishnan, Leslie Morgan and Laura Srygley for joining the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

In this special brief episode I’m bringing you an invitation from casting director Kim Clevenger to contact her about appearing in a new docuseries on grief and loss. She is looking for people experiencing grief over any type of loss who are willing to share their journey with others in this series. In the recording she explains a bit about the show and what it will consist of. If you’re interested contact Kim at the email address below and send your full name, photo, story, and contact information. GriefShowCasting@gmail.com Listen here:

Find out what you may have missed in 2023 if you haven’t listened to every episode! In this solo episode I recap some of the episodes of this podcast that had the greatest impact on me personally and professionally! All of the interviews from 2023 were fantastic but if you missed any of these be sure to take a listen! Thanks for your support this year! Looking forward to another amazing year – be sure to subscribe and leave a rating and review if you enjoy this content. HAPPY NEW YEAR AND MANY BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOUR BELOVEDS! Watch on YouTube Listen here: Links mentioned in this episode: Ep. 385. Shifting the Culture Around End of Life with Tracy Wheeler Ep. 389. Virtual Reality as an EOL Tool with Gregory Roufa and Lama Karma Ep. 393. EOL Care for People with Dementia with Barbara Karnes RN Ep. 395. Conscious Dying, Dreamwork and Death Doulas with Wilka Roig Ep. 400. The Value of Death: Lancet Report with Dr. Libby Sallnow Ep. 408. Support for Widowed People with Michele Neff Hernandez Ep. 411. The Four Things that Matter Most with Dr. Ira Byock Ep. 415. EOL Care for Children and Families with Toula Saratsis Ep. 419. Humane Prison Hospice Project with Lisa Deal & Fernando Murillo Ep. 421. Caring for Veterans Through End of Life with Qwynn Galloway-Salazar Ep. 424. Implicit Bias in End-of-Life Care with Dr. Kimberly Curseen Ep. 426. Dear Brandon with Krystina Christiansen & Brenna Brooks

Learn how to create a home funeral ceremony that can honor and celebrate the life of a loved one. My guest for this interview from the archives is Jerrigrace Lyons, founder of Final Passages, where she offers training for death doulas and home funeral guides. She shares the beauty of a home funeral and describes step-by-step how to honor a loved one with a private, intimate ceremony after death. Learn more at her website: www.finalpassages.org Hear the original interview and see the slides at this link: https://InstantTeleseminar.com/Events/89192217 Watch on YouTube Listen here: This episode includes: How the home funeral movement is changing our societal perception of death and after-death care Why home funerals are powerful The beautiful rituals that can be created economically for a home funeral How to go about creating a home funeral Links mentioned in this episode: National Home Funeral Alliance Get my two new books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death Get EOLU Podcast Merch here Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, occasional movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! Buy me a coffee Donate on Paypal 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 those who’ve bought me a coffee! Also many thanks to all of you who joined the $10 for 10 Years Campaign! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.