Funeral director Andre Roupp of Roupp Funeral Home believes each person and every family has a story, and he’s sharing all the ways funeral planning makes services personal and meaningful. When advance care planning doesn’t include funeral planning, there can be fallout that makes the family’s grief journey more difficult. Here are some highlights …

We’re getting back to the basics of hospice care with Social Worker Lisa Pahl to talk about respite care and how it works. Respite care is part of the care that hospice agencies provide but the details about it can be confusing. Here are a few things you should know about respite care: Respite care offers 5 days of care for a hospice patient to all…

Christy Byrne Yates of Alz Authors has experienced all the unique challenges of sandwich caregiving. Caring for both of her parents with neurodegenerative diseases (dementia and Alzheimer’s disease) while she raised young kids taught her lessons she now shares with other caregivers. In this open and honest conversation, Christy shares the good time…

We’re getting back to the basics of hospice care with Hospice Social Worker Lisa Pahl to talk about who’s on the hospice team and what each person brings to the care of patients and caregivers. This episode focuses on the core members of the hospice interdisciplinary team (doctor, nurse, social worker, and chaplain) as well as hospice aides (Certif…

Carrie Aalberts (AKA the Dementia Darling) supports dementia caregivers with her heart and soul, and a whole lot of strength. With a Master of Science specializing in Gerontology and over a decade of hands-on experience in various care settings, Carrie has established herself as a leading voice in dementia education and support. As the founder of D…

It’s National Healthcare Decisions Day 2025! This episode features clips from some of our favorite guests, highlighting wisdom and thoughts about advance care planning for the end of life. You’ll hear some of the brightest and best voices working in the end of life care industry talk about managing hard conversations about dying and death, funeral …

We’re getting back to the basics of hospice - talking about starting hospice care, and what you can expect from a hospice admission. Hospice nurse Beth Cavenaugh helps to navigate this topic. There are a lot of moving parts that compose the admission to hospice care. Here are some of the main things you should know about hospice admissions: The adm…

Patty Webster of The Conversation Project is talking with me about the swoopers and seagulls that are sometimes part of the caregiving experience. As part of her caregiving journey with her dad and siblings, Patty realized that she had been a “swooper”, offering her opinions about her dad’s care during an intermittent visit. Here’s what Patty says …

In this fourth and final episode of our special series in partnership with Stanford Healthcare, our guest Susan Evans shares the ins and outs of caregiving, and talks about her work to support other caregivers dealing with the challenges of Alzheimer’s Disease. As a caregiver, Susan worked to ensure her dad was safe and well cared for. She and her …

Dr. Jocelyn Jiao and Social Worker Mike Polisso of the Stanford Healthcare Palliative Team know the value of getting to know patients and families from the start of the care relationship. As part of an interdisciplinary team providing neuropalliative care for people and families living with serious neurological illnesses, they’re supporting patient…

With courage and vulnerability, Sheralin Samuels shares her experience as a caregiver for her mom, and their journey through Early Onset Alzheimer’s disease. Here are a few highlights from this episode, created in partnership with Stanford Health Care: Sheralin’s mom Carlys began showing symptoms in 2012, and a definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s d…

This episode is the first in a 4-part special series in partnership with Stanford Healthcare, sponsorsored by Kensington Senior Living. Grant Smith, M.D. and Emily Linderman, BCC from the Palliative Care team at Stanford Health Care are sharing all the basics of palliative care - when to start it, who can benefit from it, and what a PC team does fo…

Social Worker Rosie Gaston brings energy and compassion to the care of people and families dealing with life-limiting illness. As a passionate clinical social worker, she’s worked for over a decade supporting individuals, families, and professionals through the intricate journey of end-of-life care. Rosie founded A Better Ending in 2022 to focus on…

Dr. Robert Klitzman has learned the truth about the value of spiritual care through his professional practice and his own lived experience. As an author, he’s written over 180 articles and books on critical issues in bioethics regarding doctor-patient relationships and communication, research, and other areas. Robert realized the whole-person impac…

My guest Gabby Jimenez and I are busting the hospice myths to get to the truth about end of life care. Because there are so many misconceptions about hospice care, many people don’t choose to have care from a hospice team or they delay hospice care until very close to death. It’s important to know the truth about all the aspects of hospice care - h…

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 a…

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…

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…

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 wo…

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…

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 doul…

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…

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 …

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 Ed…

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 …

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…

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 l…

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 o…

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 rand…

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. …

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 ta…

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…

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 est…

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…

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 wa…

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…

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…

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 Pr…

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 h…

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 figu…

Hospice and palliative physician Dr. Matthew Tyler is teaching us how to have conversations with your healthcare team about what matters most to you. In addition to his work as medical director of palliative care services, Matthew educates the public about having meaningful discussions with their healthcare teams, especially the doctor. He calls it…

Being an advocate for someone in hospice care is a big job. MSW Jacob Kendall of Demystifying Healthcare is teaching us how to do it well. Advocacy for his own healthcare needs has taught him how to communicate with a healthcare team to get the best care possible. Jacob teaches about the various aspects that influence that care that’s available for…

As co-founder of Empowered Endings, Dr. Bob Uslander, is working to shift the paradigm of End of Life Care by supporting, guiding, and teaching an empowered approach to Palliative and End of Life Care. He became aware of the gaps in hospice and palliative care that cause patients to struggle. The deaths of his parents and a dear friend provided a p…

In part 2 of our grief series with Grief Coach Shelby Forsythia, Shelby talks about identifying your grief allies, different grief styles, and how to create continuing bonds with the ones you’ve lost. As founder of Life After Loss Academy, she uses what she’s learned in the years after her mother’s death to help other grievers make their way throug…

Grief Coach Shelby Forsythia is teaching us how it’s possible to grow through grief. As founder of Life After Loss Academy, she uses what she’s learned in the years after her mother’s death to help other grievers make their way through a grief journey. Shelby uses mindfulness techniques and open-ended questions to guide her clients to welcome grief…

Dementia practitioner Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly is on a mission to transform the landscape of dementia care. As co-founder of Veranda Ministries, a 501(c)3, Mary Anne has spent two decades telling the stories of people dealing with dementia. Supporting dementia caregivers is her gift, and helping them to remember their person’s legacy is a top pri…

Welcome to Season 9 of The Heart of Hospice Podcast! Occupational Therapists Emilia Bourland and Dr. Brandy Archie are sharing how OTs can improve the quality of life for patients and caregivers on hospice care. OTs are underutilized in end-of-life care, but they’re an essential part of the hospice interdisciplinary team. There’s a lot of support O…

Erin Whalen, founder of Compassionate Coaching, is working to help end of life and grief professionals love their work again. Using her unique gifts, Erin and the Compassionate Coaching theater troop employ “playback theater” to develop engaging programming that centers around giving and receiving empathy. They work with end of life teams to mitiga…

Pharmacist Ellen Fulp is passionate about using medications appropriately to care for patients who are at their most vulnerable. As a part of the hospice interdisciplinary team, Ellen collaborates with the hospice director and nurse to ensure quality of life is supported, and a patient’s suffering is reduced. Caregivers and patients often misunders…

Funeral director and author Jodi Clock knows personally how each person finds a grief style that’s the best, healthy fit for themselves. As host of the “I Woke Up Dead - Now What?” podcast, Jodi is having conversations about our common experiences with death, shares best practices, and asks the tough questions in order to prepare for end-of-life re…