The Heart of Hospice Podcast Hosted by Helen Bauer, BSN RN CHPN

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 mitigate burnout, enabling the teams to continue providing care for those who are dying.


Erin understands grief, loss, and the importance of caring for ourselves as we care for others.  Erin lived her whole life in a state of anticipatory grief for the loss of her older sister, Gina.  Gina was born with severe cerebral palsy, and died in 2016.  Grief milestones are very familiar to Erin.  Now she uses her work at Compassionate Coaching to support those who work to care for the dying. 


You can connect with Compassionate Coaching at compassionatecoaching.org.


If you’re interested in playback theater to support your hospice team, click here. 


If you’re an end of life worker and want to participate in a Storytelling Workshop, click here. 


Find Erin Whalen on LinkedIn here.


Find all the resources that Barbara Karnes has to offer at bkbooks.com.


Purchase the End of Life Guideline Series Bundle here.


Find Barbara’s new booklet Always Offer, Never Force:  Food at the End of Life here. 


Read Barbara’s blog here. 


Connect with Barbara Karnes on social media:    Facebook    Insta     LinkedIn   Twitter   Pinterest  YouTube   


Order your copies of The Hospice Care Plan: A Path to Comfort here, now available in English and Spanish!  


Check out the free library of video tutorials from the creators of The Hospice Care Plan hospice nurses Nancy Heyerman and Brenda Kizzire here.  


Read more about Nancy and Brenda and their mission to improve hospice care here.


 Find Odonata Care on social media:  Facebook   YouTube  IG   TikTok   


Hospice Navigation Services is here for you.  If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  


Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.


Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

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 misunderstand how medication is used in hospice care.   Ellen believes in symptom resolution, keeping the patient’s goals of care in mind.  


In hospice care, pharmacists do more than just review medications for side effects or adverse effects.  They help the clinical team find the best medication options to keep the patient comfortable.  That includes finding the right route, the most convenient and safe times for administering the medications, and ensuring the medications are utilized correctly by the patient.  When medication diversion (meds being stolen or used by someone else) is a concern, pharmacists coordinate with the hospice team to furnish the meds in a safe, legally compliant way.  Pharmacists might not be part of the “core team”, but they’re a vital part of the care of a hospice patient. 


Connect with Ellen Fulp, PharmD, MSPC, BCG, Director of Pharmacy Education at AvaCare, on LinkedIn. 


Find all the resources that Barbara Karnes has to offer at bkbooks.com.


Purchase the End of Life Guideline Series Bundle here.


Find Barbara’s new booklet Always Offer, Never Force:  Food at the End of Life here. 


Read Barbara’s blog here. 


Connect with Barbara Karnes on social media:    Facebook    Insta     LinkedIn   Twitter   Pinterest  YouTube   


Order your copies of The Hospice Care Plan: A Path to Comfort here, now available in English and Spanish!  


Check out the free library of video tutorials from the creators of The Hospice Care Plan hospice nurses Nancy Heyerman and Brenda Kizzire here.  


Read more about Nancy and Brenda and their mission to improve hospice care here.


 Find Odonata Care on social media:  Facebook   YouTube  IG   TikTok   


Hospice Navigation Services is here for you.  If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  


Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.


Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

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 realities we all will face.  


Jodi learned valuable life lessons about grief and loss after experiencing the death of both her parents when Jodi was in her 20’s.  As a funeral director, she’s seen all the aspects of grief and how every individual has their own personal style of grief.  


In her newest book “It’s Complicated!” - What You Should Know About: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Long Term Care, End-of-Life Wishes and more”, Jodi provides guidance to help people advocate for themselves, know what questions to ask.  All too often people receive well intended mis-information.  Jodi’s book gives expert advice based on both her professional and personal experiences.  


Connect with Jodi Clock at jodiclock.com.  


Get your copy of “It’s Complicated! - What You Should Know About: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Long Term Care, End-of-Life Planning and more” here.


See all of Jodi’s books at jodiclock.com/books.


Book Jodi to speak at your event here.   


Socials for Jodi:


Website: https://jodiclock.com/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-clock-b988908/


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AskJodi/


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jodiclock/


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/askjodi/


YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JodiMClock


Podcast: https://jodiclock.com/i-woke-up-dead-podcast/


Find all the resources that Barbara Karnes has to offer at bkbooks.com.


Purchase the End of Life Guideline Series Bundle here.


Find Barbara’s new booklet Always Offer, Never Force:  Food at the End of Life here. 


Read Barbara’s blog here. 


Connect with Barbara Karnes on social media:    Facebook    Insta     LinkedIn   Twitter   Pinterest  YouTube   


Order your copies of The Hospice Care Plan: A Path to Comfort here, now available in English and Spanish!  


Check out the free library of video tutorials from the creators of The Hospice Care Plan hospice nurses Nancy Heyerman and Brenda Kizzire here.  


Read more about Nancy and Brenda and their mission to improve hospice care here.


 Find Odonata Care on social media:  Facebook   YouTube  IG   TikTok   


Hospice Navigation Services is here for you.  If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  


Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.


Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Hospice nurse Eileen Spillane of Befriending Death has learned to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Eileen is the Founder of Befriending Death and has been a Registered Nurse for over thirty years, specializing in Oncology, Critical Care, and Obstetrics.  She is a certified Life Coach from New Ventures West, a former Zen Hospice Project Volunteer, a Meditation Teacher, and an Active Travel Guide.  She has been at the bedside of many as they transition through the dying process and cares very deeply about this topic.


On the Befriending Death website, Eileen writes that “if we have conversations about it (death), we might loosen up the fear and anxiety around it. If we prepare and share our wishes, we can give our loved ones the gift of clarity and direction so they feel confident they are following our wishes and have the opportunity to grieve without further unnecessary stress”.


Eileen’s courses can benefit everyone, from people with life-changing illnesses to elder law attorneys and caregivers for someone with a chronic illness. The courses include smaller “buddy groups” that create a deeper connection between participants.  The Let's Chat About Death course provides an opportunity to investigate what’s important in our lives and make changes that reflect that.


Find Befriending Death at befriendingdeath.com.


Read more about Eileen Spillane here.


Be a part of the Let’s Chat About Death course here.


Enroll in the Befriending Death, Befriending Your Life course coming Sept. 2024 here.


Send a message to Befriending Death here. 


Find all the resources that Barbara Karnes has to offer at bkbooks.com.


Purchase the End of Life Guideline Series Bundle here.


Find Barbara’s new booklet Always Offer, Never Force:  Food at the End of Life here. 


Read Barbara’s blog here. 


Connect with Barbara Karnes on social media:    Facebook    Insta     LinkedIn   Twitter   Pinterest  YouTube   


Order your copies of The Hospice Care Plan: A Path to Comfort here, now available in English and Spanish!  


Check out the free library of video tutorials from the creators of The Hospice Care Plan hospice nurses Nancy Heyerman and Brenda Kizzire here.  


Read more about Nancy and Brenda and their mission to improve hospice care here.


 Find Odonata Care on social media:  Facebook   YouTube  IG   TikTok   


Hospice Navigation Services is here for you.  If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  


Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.


Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

“What do I need to know about you as a person to take the best care of you?”  This is how integrative palliative medicine physician Dr. Delia Chiaramonte starts conversations with her patients. It’s a Dignity Question that lets her patients know she cares about them as a person. Delia works in integrative palliative medicine to care for the whole person. 


Dr. Delia Chiaramonte is a caregiver coach as well as an integrative palliative medicine physician. She’s the founder of the Integrative Palliative Institute and host of The Integrative Palliative Podcast. Dr. Chiaramonte is an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Maryland, has published textbook chapters in the fields of integrative and palliative medicine, and was voted a “Top Doctor” by her physician peers. Dr. Chiaramonte believes that self-care is part of the job description of every clinician.  


Delia is the author of Coping Courageously: A Heart-Centered Guide for Navigating a Loved One’s Illness Without Losing Yourself. More information about Dr. Chiaramonte’s Courageous Caregiver program is available at www.CaregivingIsHard.com.


Connect with the Integrative Palliative Institute at integrativepalliative.com.  


Find more information on the Courageous Caregiver program at caregivingishard.com.  


Download Dr. Chiaramonte’s FREE Guide to Caregiving for Women caring for an aging or ill loved one here. 


Find all the resources that Barbara Karnes has to offer at bkbooks.com.


Purchase the End of Life Guideline Series Bundle here.


Find Barbara’s new booklet Always Offer, Never Force: Food at the End of Life here. 


Read Barbara’s blog here. 


Connect with Barbara Karnes on social media:  Facebook  Insta  LinkedIn Twitter   Pinterest YouTube   


Order your copies of The Hospice Care Plan: A Path to Comfort here, now available in English and Spanish!  


Check out the free library of video tutorials from the creators of The Hospice Care Plan hospice nurses Nancy Heyerman and Brenda Kizzire here.  


Read more about Nancy and Brenda and their mission to improve hospice care here.


 Find Odonata Care on social media: Facebook YouTube IG TikTok   


Hospice Navigation Services is here for you. If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

End of Life Doula Trina Wacasey works to ensure that clients and families have the kind of personalized death care they want. Using family-guided care customized to fit their beliefs, needs, and wants, Trina guides caregivers through deaths, post-mortem care, and rituals after death.  


After working in the corporate world, Trina was drawn to the work of an end of life doula. She volunteered at a hospice agency with their bereavement program, and completed training at the Conscious Dying Institute. The deep and meaningful conversations had great meaning for her. She was fascinated by how individual people feel about death and advance care planning. 


As part of her Doula services, Trina offers families what she calls A Natural Goodbye. It’s an alternative to the traditional funeral. Here’s how she describes it:  


“I offer my clients a unique opportunity to say a Natural Goodbye following the death of a loved one as an alternative to a traditional funeral or formal wake or visitation. They are invited to an intimate two hour, informal gathering in a private, safe space in the community for cherished time with their person.”


Trina is an educator, an encourager, and a companion for those who are walking through a death experience with someone they love.  


Connect with Trina Wacasey at creatinghonoringspaces.com.  


Get a copy of Trina’s Family Involved Death Care Checklist here. 


Learn how Trina utilizes the Mini Mobile Suite here. 


Find all the resources that Barbara Karnes has to offer at bkbooks.com.


Purchase the End of Life Guideline Series Bundle here.


Read Barbara’s blog here. 


Connect with Barbara Karnes on social media:  Facebook  Insta  LinkedIn Twitter   Pinterest YouTube   


Order your copies of The Hospice Care Plan: A Plan to Comfort here, now available in English and Spanish!  


Check out the free library of video tutorials from the creators of The Hospice Care Plan hospice nurses Nancy Heyerman and Brenda Kizzire here.  


Read more about Nancy and Brenda and their mission to improve hospice care here.


 Find Odonata Care on social media: Facebook YouTube IG TikTok   


Hospice Navigation Services is here for you. If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  


Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.


Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)