The Dishing Doulas Podcast

EPISODE 15: Life and Death Matters with Kathy Murray

Kath Murray is a Hospice Palliative Care Nurse, educator and founder of Life and Death Matters. She is passionate about developing and delivering death education and resources aimed at helping Personal Support Workers, nurses and other members of the health care team and family to provide best care for the dying person and their caregivers.    In this podcast Kath will talk about her resources and practical ways that you as a Death Doula can support the people you care for and their team.    Kath will describe common patterns of decline, the move toward the “integration of a palliative approach” in caring for people with any life-limiting illness, early in the disease process and across all care settings, she will identify common symptoms, give examples of comfort measures and the use of a comfort basket.  ABOUT KATH MURRAY:  Kath Murray is a Hospice Palliative Care Nurse, educator, thanatologist & founder of Life and Death Matters, a Canadian Palliative Care education company. Her mission is to develop resources that help the health care team integrate a palliative approach to care in all care settings, and thus improve care of people who are living-dying and their families/loved ones.    Kath Murray believes that education and resources should be “delicious and digestible”, engaging and user friendly.    Kath wrote the text, Integrating a Palliative Approach: Essentials for Personal Support Workers and a similar text for nurses, Essentials in Hospice and Palliative Care: A Practical Resource for Every Nurse. Both of these texts have companion workbooks, podcasts, and videos, and are available on the LDM NEW online digital library.    Together with a team of palliative care providers in Mexico, they adapted and translated the nursing text into Spanish.    Kath has been a family/friend caregiver. She is no stranger to palliative care, loss and grief.     Kath weaves current knowledge, research and best practice with personal experience and anecdotes to bring the material to life. She is known for synthesizing material into easy-to-understand language and conveying it with warmth and humour.  https://lifeanddeathmatters.ca/ [https://lifeanddeathmatters.ca/]  Kath@lifeanddeathmatters.ca [Kath@lifeanddeathmatters.ca]

EPISODE 14: Jordan Arogeti, SupportNow – Understanding Its Process, Benefits, and the Comfort It Provides

EPISODE 14: Jordan Arogeti, SupportNow – Understanding Its Process, Benefits, and the Comfort It Provides   What do individuals and families need in times of illness, death and tragedy?  How can you help?  Jordan will share her experience and how their resource has influenced the development of SupportNow.  Learn what individuals really want and need in times of distress, and why; and you will also learn how you can actually offer help that is meaningful and needed should you know someone faced with these challenges.  Understand why “let me know what I can do”, or “how can I help?” - isn’t really helpful for those emersed in times of illness, death or tragedy.  Discover how SupportNow can help you to help.  ABOUT JORDAN AROGETI:   Jordan Arogeti wants to change how supporters show up for friends and families   in tough times. She’s doing just that as the CEO and co-founder of SupportNow, all   in one place to raise money, schedule meals, coordinate volunteers, and send   updates.   SupportNow is a free, easy to use website that offers clear direction to anyone   inclined to offer funds, food, or time and energy. The website is a called a Registry   that can be customized based on current needs and easily change overtime.   Prior to SupportNow, Jordan spent seven years working as the top Strategic   Enterprise salesperson at Salesloft and in her time there the company grew from   1M to 200M in annual revenue. Passionate about sales and women in tech she   was instrumental in crafting the maternity leave policy that blazed a path for   dozens of other mothers across the company. Additionally, Jordan has invested   and advised dozens of startups throughout the country.   Jordan began her career at IMG/WME in New York working in Collegiate Sports   Sponsorship and Licensing.   A graduate of the University of Georgia, Jordan lives in Atlanta with her husband   (and co-founder in Mi Alma) Scott, and their three kids; Nace (5), Remi (4), and   Hayes (1).  Connect with Jordan and SupportNow her:  www.supportnow.org [http://www.supportnow.org/]  jordan@supportnow.org [jordan@supportnow.org]     _____  LEARN ABOUT DEATH DOULA NETWORK INTERNATIONAL [https://ddnint.com/]  Contact us at admin@ddnint.com [admin@ddnint.com] for any feedback or suggestions on podcast guests or topics.  Music provided by Dee Flat and the Benz, used with permission.

EPISODE 13: Nicola Finch, Natural Burial

SHOW NOTES –EPISODE 13, NICOLA FINCH, NATURAL BURIAL  Nicola Finch is passionate about caring for our own dead.  Through her lived experiences and how her family approached death, Nicola knows the value of being with her dead, caring for them, and participating in companioning them to their final resting spot makes a difference for the grievers; for those left behind.  Nicola shares personal stories about the death of both her parents, and the unexpected death of her brother at a young age.  Her stories will help us all to understand exactly how it can make tragic circumstances just a little bit easier.  As part of “caring for our dead”, Nicola also talks about the importance of natural burial, and how, in the province of BC we don’t have enough opportunities or locations where we can provide a natural burial for our loved ones, or ourselves.   Our conversation together will definitely give you something to think about – and maybe alter your perspective, just a little, if you haven’t yet considered how you want to be cared for after death, or how you may wish to care for your dead loved ones.  Have a listen!  ABOUT NICOLA FINCH:  Nicola Finch has lived remote and off grid for 22 years. She and her husband, David steward 50 acres on the Tŝilhqot’in plateau in the interior of British Columbia. David is the originator and pioneer of the steam bent wood ring. They are co-creators of Touch Wood Rings and Touch Wood Memorial Rings.   Nicola is passionate about choice. She is a wholistic death care advocate and believes Natural Burial should be an accessible choice for everyone in British Columbia. She believes what's important is caring for each other and our dying planet; giving the birds something to sing about. She loves to photograph, and loves sharing the beauty of the natural world because it brings people home.    You can find Nicola here:  Nicola@dying.green [https://linktr.ee/DyingGreen?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=7a428754-bc97-479f-a90f-aff6aced0ce3]  https://www.greenburialbc.ca/ [https://www.greenburialbc.ca/]  https://www.touchwoodrings.com/ [https://www.touchwoodrings.com/]  https://www.ccdcnetwork.com/ [https://www.ccdcnetwork.com/]      LEARN ABOUT DEATH DOULA NETWORK INTERNATIONAL [https://ddnint.com/]  Contact us at admin@ddnint.com [admin@ddnint.com] for any feedback or suggestions on podcast guests or topics.    Music provided by Dee Flat and the Benz, used with permission.

Episode 12: Creative Celebrations for End of Life

Would you consider hiring an event planner for an end of life gathering?   We all know about the traditional funeral service or celebration of life, and there is varying opinion about whether these gatherings are a necessary act of mourning and remembrance.  No matter what you call it, funeral service, celebration of life, end of life gathering or a barbeque – experiences tell us these gatherings DO matter.  Through her work as an Event Planner specializing in End-of-Life gatherings, Christina Andreola shows us how we CAN create a gathering that truly reflects the life and essence of our dead loved one.  By taking a traditional concept and reinventing it in ways that are extremely personal and relevant for the person being remembered, there is so much more room to be present for the gathering, for remembrance, to hear stories shared, and to move onward without any uncertainty or regret about how we did – or didn’t honoured our loved one.  Christina shares how her work is making a profound difference for families, loved ones, and all who attend the gatherings; and each one has a profound impact on Christina too.  Christina says the legacy of every person she’s done an event for is carried forward to the next client she works with, as she helps you to open the door even wider to what is possible.  Where does she begin?  with a blank notebook and an open mind – where anything is possible, from a life size cut out, broadway musical headlines, playbook playlists, garden parties or a small intimate dinner experience.  Anything is possible with a blank notebook and an open mind.  ABOUT CHRISTINA ANDREOLA:  Christina Andreola is the founder of New Narrative Events, an event planning company that specializes in helping groups with the logistics surrounding the visioning and planning for a celebration of life event. Founded in 2017, New Narrative is the first event planning company of its kind in Canada to focus solely on these meaningful legacy experiences.    During the pandemic, Christina quickly pivoted the business to planning and facilitating virtual and hybrid memorial services, connecting family and friends no matter where they are in the world. With over five hundred events planned, New Narrative’s mission is to take care of the details so families can take care of each other.  You can learn more about Christina and contact her here:  www.newnarrativeevents.com [http://www.newnarrativeevents.com/]  and  www.planacelebrationoflife.com [http://www.planacelebrationoflife.com/]  for her course Plan a Celebration of Life     LEARN ABOUT DEATH DOULA NETWORK INTERNATIONAL [https://ddnint.com/]  Contact us at admin@ddnint.com [admin@ddnint.com] for any feedback or suggestions on podcast guests or topics.    Music provided by Dee Flat and the Benz, used with permission.

Episode 11: Stefanie Elkins, Death Over Drafts

As a Family Caregiver Consultant,  End-of-Life Doula, and founder of Be Present Care [https://www.bepresentcare.com/], Stefanie Elkins has over 20 years of experience supporting and helping  people navigate challenging life transitions such as caregiving, end-of-life, and grief.   Her expertise includes being an educator and facilitator on advance care, caregiving and end-of-life conversations as well as creating plans and programs for families, healthcare and senior-focused organizations. As the Medical Outreach Manager, an integral part of Compassion & Choices California Campaign team,  she assisted in passing and then implementing the California End of Life Option Act that passed in 2015.    Merging her passions: love of craft beer and encouraging candid conversations on end-of-life, Stefanie created Death over Drafts, a community event held at breweries across the United States to spark curiosity & meaningful connection around death and dying.    In this episode Stefanie shares this passion, and why she believes offering comfortable places to gather and explore the uncomfortable topic of dying and death is so important for society and can inspire how we reignite our intentions on how we choose to live and die.    Stefanie is an accomplished professional and life long learner. Her credentials include completion of the University of Vermont End of Life Doula Professional certificate program [https://learn.uvm.edu/program/end-of-life-doula-at-uvm/end-of-life-doula-certificate/] and currently in double MA degrees in Management specializing in Human Services and Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University, and a BA in Social Relations from UC Riverside.    She also holds leadership roles as the LA Unit Chair of the Western Region of the Aging Life Care Association [https://www.aginglifecare.org/]®, and is actively involved with various organizations dedicated to promoting end-of-life choices and providing support to seniors, including Compassion & Choices [https://www.compassionandchoices.org/], Foundation for Senior Services, [https://www.foundationforseniorservices.org/] Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (CTAC) [https://thectac.org/], Reimagine, [https://letsreimagine.org/] Silent Book Club of Death [https://silentbookclub.substack.com/p/silent-book-club-of-death], and Valley Chevra Kadisha [https://www.valleychevrakadisha.org/].     Compassion & Choices [https://www.compassionandchoices.org/], Foundation for Senior Services, [https://www.foundationforseniorservices.org/] Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (CTAC) [https://thectac.org/], Reimagine, [https://letsreimagine.org/] Silent Book Club of Death [https://silentbookclub.substack.com/p/silent-book-club-of-death], and Valley Chevra Kadisha [https://www.valleychevrakadisha.org/].    https://www.aginglifecare.org/ [https://www.aginglifecare.org/]  https://www.bepresentcare.com [https://www.bepresentcare.com/]    LEARN ABOUT DEATH DOULA NETWORK INTERNATIONAL [https://ddnint.com/]  Contact us at admin@ddnint.com [admin@ddnint.com] for any feedback or suggestions on podcast guests or topics.    Music provided by Dee Flat and the Benz, used with permission.