Caring House: Creating Comfort in the Final Days

Suicide Loss and Healing Through Writing with Wendy Juergens

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/fan_mail/new] On Seeing Death Clearly, death doula and funeral celebrant Jill McClennen talks with Wendy Juergens about grief, dying, and healing through writing, including end-of-life planning and conscious living. Wendy shares the story of her son Nick, a Navy veteran who died by suicide nearly 14 years ago at age 32, and how writing her book, Hey, It’s Me, helped her stay connected to him, learn more about his life, and support others facing suicidal crisis or suicide loss.  They discuss the stigma and silence around suicide, the importance of open, age-appropriate talks with children about death—especially through pet loss—and how talking and storytelling can prevent isolation.  Wendy describes researching veterans’ challenges returning home, exploring post-traumatic growth, and creating a “Grief to Growth” workshop while continuing work on a pet loss book and a possible memoir.  00:00 Welcome and Episode Setup 01:09 Meet Wendy Jurgens 02:56 Writing Through Grief 04:19 Pet Loss and Kids 06:14 The Writing Process 10:06 Nick’s Story Begins 13:03 Signs and Medium Messages 16:56 Post Traumatic Growth 19:09 Breaking Suicide Silence 22:26 Talking Openly Saves Lives 24:17 Going Public With the Mission 25:27 Sibling Support Lunches 26:03 Veterans Returning Home 26:46 Nick’s Navy Stressors 29:06 Identity After Leaving 31:04 Losses and Perspective 32:35 Choosing Your Circle 34:20 Feeling Grief Fully 35:50 Book and New Projects 38:27 Writing as Therapy 41:29 Closing and Next Steps  https://www.wendyjuergens.com [https://www.wendyjuergens.com/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support] Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support]  Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast.  Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life [https://bit.ly/betterlifeworkbook%20].  jill@endoflifeclarity.com  https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning [https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning] to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call. www.endoflifeclarity.com [https://www.endoflifeclarity.com] Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/endoflifeclarity] Facebook [https://m.facebook.com/endoflifeclarity] Facebook group End of Life Clarity Circle [https://www.facebook.com/groups/endoflifeclaritycircle/] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillmcclennen] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@endoflifeclarity]

Caring House: Creating Comfort in the Final Days

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/fan_mail/new] Jill McClennen hosts a conversation with David Zartman and Joanna Franco from Caring House, a nonprofit hospice home in Torrance, California. They explain that Caring House serves people in the final days or weeks of a hospice journey, staffed 24/7 by caregivers, and works with many hospice agencies because it is a non-medical residential care facility.  Families can visit freely, often stay overnight in reclining chairs, and may bring pets; volunteers include chefs, death doulas, and therapy dogs. The guests describe funding through pay-what-you-can fees, donations, grants, and fundraisers, with no one turned away for inability to pay. They discuss rituals, honoring residents after death, flexible time for families to stay, and staff debriefing and grief. 00:00 What Caring House Is 00:15 Meet the Host 01:25 Meet David and Joanna 02:35 Why Caring House Is Different 03:37 Who It Serves 04:25 Working With Hospices 06:43 Life at End of Life 08:39 Food and Volunteers 09:34 Staffing and Overnight Family 12:50 Admissions and Waitlist 13:59 Nonprofit Funding Model 16:14 Hospice Coverage Reality 18:57 Death Doulas in House 20:09 Facing Death and Control 23:53 Grief Lessons From Work 25:27 Losing Sandra Young 26:11 Lessons From Grief 26:49 Staff Facing Death Daily 29:41 Honoring Residents After Death 30:58 Family Time After Passing 33:57 Rituals Music And Goodbyes 35:51 Pets And Therapy Dogs 38:10 Why Caring Houses Matter 43:46 Support Donate And Connect 45:39 Final Thanks And Planning Help https://www.yourcaringhouse.org/ [https://www.yourcaringhouse.org/] https://www.instagram.com/yourcaringhouse/ [https://www.instagram.com/yourcaringhouse/] https://www.facebook.com/YourCaringHouse/ [https://www.facebook.com/YourCaringHouse/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support] Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support]  Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast.  Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life [https://bit.ly/betterlifeworkbook%20].  jill@endoflifeclarity.com  https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning [https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning] to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call. www.endoflifeclarity.com [https://www.endoflifeclarity.com] Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/endoflifeclarity] Facebook [https://m.facebook.com/endoflifeclarity] Facebook group End of Life Clarity Circle [https://www.facebook.com/groups/endoflifeclaritycircle/] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillmcclennen] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@endoflifeclarity]

Behind the Scenes of Funeral Directing with Tasha Dugan and Amanda Kyle of Laurel Hill Cemetery

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/fan_mail/new] Host Jill McClennen, a death doula, end-of-life care planner, and funeral celebrant, interviews Laurel Hill Funeral Directors Tasha Dugan and Amanda Kyle about what funeral directing looks like behind the scenes. They discuss embalming and body preparation, service planning, costs, flowers, paperwork, and supporting families from the first call through the funeral.  Amanda shares her path from animal rights work and veterinary care to funeral service, and Tasha describes moving from insurance and autopsy work into full-time funeral directing. They explore why ritual and personalization matter in grief, how death doulas and funeral directors can work together, and how doulas can help families communicate needs during arrangements.  The conversation also covers weather challenges for burials, hand-dug green burials, pet funerals at Laurel Hill’s pet cemetery, aquamation legislation in Pennsylvania, and how media stories about cremation increase requests for witnessed cremations. 00:00 Doula Trust Story 00:15 Show Intro and Guests 01:59 Amanda’s Path to Death Care 03:20 Tasha’s Funeral Director Journey 06:11 What Funeral Directors Do 10:29 Death Doulas vs Funeral Directors 14:22 Personalization and Embalming Value 15:46 How Doulas Help Arrangements 23:56 Weather and Winter Burials 26:14 Weather Delays Services 27:17 Hand Dug Green Burials 27:59 Pet Cemetery Stories 32:12 Aquamation Legal Push 33:30 Cremation Documentary Fears 35:51 Death Arts Festival Recap 37:46 Death Doulas Meet Funeral Care 41:02 Contact Laurel Hill Team 42:43 Bookstore and Summer Events 44:36 End of Life Planning CTA https://laurelhillphl.com/ [https://laurelhillphl.com/] https://www.facebook.com/laurelhillphl [https://www.facebook.com/laurelhillphl] https://www.instagram.com/laurelhillphl/ [https://www.instagram.com/laurelhillphl/] From Fear of Death to Funeral Director: Tasha Dugan’s Journey at Philadelphia’s Historic Laurel Hill Cemetery [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/episodes/17723542] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support] Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support]  Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast.  Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life [https://bit.ly/betterlifeworkbook%20].  jill@endoflifeclarity.com  https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning [https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning] to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call. www.endoflifeclarity.com [https://www.endoflifeclarity.com] Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/endoflifeclarity] Facebook [https://m.facebook.com/endoflifeclarity] Facebook group End of Life Clarity Circle [https://www.facebook.com/groups/endoflifeclaritycircle/] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillmcclennen] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@endoflifeclarity]

Grief, Fatherhood, and Breaking the Silence Around Death with Matt Fogelson

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/fan_mail/new] Death doula and funeral celebrant Jill McClennen speaks with Matt Fogelson about growing up in 1980s Manhattan, then losing his workaholic father to lung cancer when Matt was 19 and his father was 46. Matt describes carrying unspoken grief for decades, using pain to stay connected, and how family silence around dying robbed them of meaningful end-of-life conversations. He shares how music and playing guitar became a private outlet for depression and rage, and later a bridge to his own son, helping him heal and avoid repeating emotional absence. The conversation also explores conscious living, legacy, and end-of-life planning, including the regret of devoting life to work over relationships. Matt discusses his Substack “Fine Tuning,” leaving law, and his memoir, “Fatherhood in a Different Key.” 00:00 Facing Mortality 00:16 Meet the Host and Guest 01:19 Growing Up 80s Manhattan 03:05 Life After New York 04:09 His Father’s Diagnosis 06:43 Decades of Hidden Grief 11:29 Music as a Lifeline 13:31 Denial and No Goodbye 14:57 Why We Avoid Death Talk 19:47 Childhood Grief and First Funeral 22:46 Shiva and Grief Advice 24:12 Music as Emotional Outlet 26:06 Soundgarden and Screaming 28:40 Safe Ways to Let It Out 31:07 From Lawyer to Memoirist 33:30 Cats in the Cradle Reflections 35:44 Writing in the Basement 37:03 Quitting Law and Launching 37:51 Regrets of the Dying 39:39 Family Cycles and Workaholism 43:41 Where to Find Matt 44:34 End-of-Life Planning CTA https://www.mattfogelson.com/ [https://www.mattfogelson.com/] https://mattfogelson.substack.com/ [https://mattfogelson.substack.com/] Restrung Fatherhood in a Different Key [https://bookshop.org/p/books/restrung-fatherhood-in-a-different-key-matt-fogelson/6311ad1d1a761dc1?ean=9781684633425&next=t] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support] Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support]  Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast.  Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life [https://bit.ly/betterlifeworkbook%20].  jill@endoflifeclarity.com  https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning [https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning] to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call. www.endoflifeclarity.com [https://www.endoflifeclarity.com] Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/endoflifeclarity] Facebook [https://m.facebook.com/endoflifeclarity] Facebook group End of Life Clarity Circle [https://www.facebook.com/groups/endoflifeclaritycircle/] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillmcclennen] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@endoflifeclarity]

Life Forest Tree Burial Cemetery with Mel Bennett

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/fan_mail/new] Death doula and funeral celebrant Jill McClennen interviews Mel Bennett, founder of Life Forest in New Hampshire, a nonprofit cemetery and public arboretum where human and pet cremated remains are buried with newly planted trees. After caring for her mother through early-onset frontal lobe dementia, Mel received her mother’s ashes in a plastic bag and box, which pushed her to create a more meaningful, healing legacy. She explains how the land is conserved, how each tree is legally protected as a burial monument, and how families get long-term, deeded access using GPS coordinates and mapping software. Mel shares the science behind their certified wool shrouds that support soil health, plus QR-code memorial markers for equal memorialization. Life Forest prioritizes accessibility, offers free burial for anyone under 20, supports unclaimed deaths, and helps expand similar cemeteries in other states. 00:00 Her Smile in Bloom 00:18 Show and Guest Intro 01:29 Mel’s Roots and Big Question 02:34 Childhood Fear and Mom’s Wisdom 04:40 Dementia Caregiving Journey 07:13 Ashes in a Bag 09:08 From Idea to Life Forest 11:04 Planting the Dogwood 13:09 Building the Arboretum 16:47 Legal Protections for Trees 18:39 Deeded Rights and GPS Mapping 25:15 Wool Shroud Science 28:59 How Families Prepare Remains 31:18 Choosing the Right Tree 32:12 Soil Sun and Pollination 35:03 Public Arboretum Access 36:20 QR Code Memorials 38:57 Pets Fees and Fairness 42:49 Accessibility and Community 43:31 Child Grief Book Project 50:49 Expanding Life Forest Model 54:40 Where to Find Life Forest 55:16 End of Life Planning Call https://lifeforestcemetery.com/ [https://lifeforestcemetery.com/]  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support] Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support]  Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast.  Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life [https://bit.ly/betterlifeworkbook%20].  jill@endoflifeclarity.com  https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning [https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning] to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call. www.endoflifeclarity.com [https://www.endoflifeclarity.com] Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/endoflifeclarity] Facebook [https://m.facebook.com/endoflifeclarity] Facebook group End of Life Clarity Circle [https://www.facebook.com/groups/endoflifeclaritycircle/] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillmcclennen] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@endoflifeclarity]