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Best Life Best Death

Best Life Best Death

By Diane Hullet

Conversations about mortality -- life, death and what matters most.
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#19 Johanna Lunn - We Begin at the End

Best Life Best DeathJan 04, 2022

00:00
23:30
#134 In Their Honor: Veterans and the End of Life – Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar

#134 In Their Honor: Veterans and the End of Life – Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar

Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar brings her experience as a veteran and spouse of a combat veteran straight into her work as a death doula and educator. She sees the value of a multi-layered approach, believing that: 1) we can best companion veterans who are dying by understanding their unique end-of-life needs; 2) we can better support the caregivers of veterans through education and practical resources; and 3) we can offer insights to the medical team that is supporting an individual, to help them understand the unique facets of a veteran's life experience and how those may play out at the end. Qwynn and I dive into these questions and more, but at the heart of this conversation is the question: What would it look like to truly honor veterans as they come to the end of their lives?

Mar 27, 202433:55
#133 Eldercare Is Episodic – Rick Northrup

#133 Eldercare Is Episodic – Rick Northrup

This week I have a conversation with none other than an old family friend. And while I love talking to the experts out there, there’s something just kinda basic about about chatting with a friend who’s “been through it” with his parents and in-laws. What are the lessons he gleaned? What went well in their family situation? What are the pitfalls he has seen, personally and through his work? We talk about both the personal and the big picture of eldercare — how do we approach this stage, why is it so complicated, what do families need to know, and how can they prepare themselves for the later stages of people’s lives?


Mar 20, 202431:16
#132 Scams and Fraud: What You Need to Know! – Amy Nofziger, AARP expert

#132 Scams and Fraud: What You Need to Know! – Amy Nofziger, AARP expert

Amy Nofziger is the Director of Victim Support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network and has nearly two decades of experience in fraud prevention and victim support. Listen to this BLBD episode to get the scoop on scams and fraud. What is it? How does it happen? Could I be a victim? What do I do if I am? As Amy says, “Know the red flags: asking for money or your personal information. End of story.” What does this have to do with my "Best Death," you are asking? File this in the "Best Life" department!


Mar 13, 202425:13
#131 Visiting When Someone Is Dying - “Always go to Ohio” – Jennifer Graham
Mar 06, 202432:56
#130 The Wind Phone Phenomenon – Grief, Connection, Art, & Service – Amy Dawson of My Wind Phone
Feb 28, 202431:18
#129 Navigating Modern, Meaningful Caregiving - Allison Applebaum, Ph.D.
Feb 21, 202431:51
#128 How to Train Your Doctor – Dr. Matthew Tyler
Feb 14, 202436:24
#127 Dying in Community: The Last Ecstatic Days of Ethan Sisser - Dr Aditi Sethi
Feb 07, 202429:51
#126 Why Have a Conversation about Mortality? (and how the heck do we even begin??) – Reena Lazar, Willow End of Life Education and Planning
Jan 31, 202430:08
#125 How Is Caregiving for Someone Who is Dying Different? – Katie Duncan, Death Care Coach, Part 2
Jan 25, 202430:16
#124 How Do We Cope with Long Term Caregiving? – Katie Duncan, Death Care Coach, Part 1
Jan 18, 202431:46
#123 The Experience of Aging and the Myth of Independence – Sonya Barsness, Gerontologist
Jan 10, 202431:43
#122 A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death – Diane Hullet

#122 A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death – Diane Hullet

Why is this one of my favorite books? How can a book like this have a positive impact on your view of your life *and* your death? What are some pragmatic topics we could benefit from thinking about? What are some of the thoughtful gems from authors BJ Miller, MD and Shoshana Berger?

Listen in as I talk about this book and see if you want to add it to your nightstand pile... A Beginner's Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death.

Jan 04, 202414:02
#121 The Heart of Hospice and Best Life Best Death in Conversation - Helen Bauer and Diane Hullet

#121 The Heart of Hospice and Best Life Best Death in Conversation - Helen Bauer and Diane Hullet

This week: a joint podcast with The Heart of Hospice and host Helen Bauer. This is swift-talking, wide-ranging, longer-than-usual chat! What brought me into end of life work? Why might any of us want a “supported death”? How can end-of-life workers bring an open mind to any death? How can caregivers be held, metaphorically and literally? What can we learn while in a relationship with hospice? How can we hold expectation vs hope? How do we support the multiple needs of various people involved in any caregiving situation? At the end of life, how do you begin to let go of the bonds of the world? *Bonus trivia: What’s Diane’s end-of-life playlist?


Dec 27, 202352:13
#120 Choices at the End of Life Part 2: Dementia Advance Directives and Voluntary Stopping of Eating and Drinking – Chaplain Hank Dunn
Dec 20, 202334:16
#119 Choices at the End of Life Part 1: Crisis Decision Making –  Chaplain Hank Dunn

#119 Choices at the End of Life Part 1: Crisis Decision Making –  Chaplain Hank Dunn

When difficult choices arise around healthcare and the nearing end of life, Hank Dunn has some ideas to help us decide what to do. In his book, Hard Choices for Loving People, he suggests that families consider asking themselves and each other: What are we trying to accomplish? What’s the goal? Are we trying to cure? Are we looking to stabilize functioning? Or are we preparing for a comfortable and dignified death? This podcast is full-full-full of thoughtful content that is important for all of us to consider. 


Dec 14, 202332:04
#118 Three Doulas and The Doula Tool Kit – Diane Button, Gabby Jimenez and Angela Shook
Dec 06, 202334:48
#117 What Do We Mean by “New” and “Greener” After Death Care? – Eric Rooney, Regeneration Earth
Nov 29, 202333:05
#116 Thanksgiving Gratitude – Hank Dunn, Chaplain
Nov 23, 202308:02
#115 Sharing the Stories and Artifacts of Our Lives – Heather Nickerson, Artifcts Founder
Nov 16, 202335:42
#114 Dementia – How Do We Approach This Long Road? Kay Adams, Dementia Coach and Author
Nov 09, 202339:55
#113 What Is the Enneagram? - Renee Rosario, Narrative Enneagram
Nov 01, 202330:33
#99 As Good as Hospice Can Be… There Are Gaps – Susan Elliott, End of Life Coach and Doula
Oct 30, 202329:31
#112 What is a Healthcare Advocate? – Ashley Bright, Founder of Life Journey Advisors
Oct 25, 202332:36
#111 Living Fully and Dying Prepared – Francesca Arnoldy, Author and Community Doula
Oct 18, 202326:52
#110 Do No Harm: A Conversation with Dr Diana Barnard, Vermont Palliative Care Provider — Dr Diana Barnard
Oct 11, 202332:21
#109 Loose Ends: Finishing the Project Someone Else Started - with CoCreators Jennifer Simonic and Masey Kaplan
Oct 04, 202326:16
#108 Last Flight Home: A Family's Experience with the End of Life Option Act in California - Ondi Timoner, Filmmaker and Founder/CEO of Interloper Films
Sep 27, 202330:32
#107 This Conversation is for All of Us: Suicide - Cait Maddan, Death Doula/Educator with a Focus in Suicide Care and Conversations
Sep 20, 202333:05
#106 Dignity Day: The Experience of Choosing Medical Aid in Dying for Individuals and Families — Gabby Jimenez — Hospice Nurse, Doula and End of Life Educator

#106 Dignity Day: The Experience of Choosing Medical Aid in Dying for Individuals and Families — Gabby Jimenez — Hospice Nurse, Doula and End of Life Educator

Hospice Nurse and dynamic educator, Gabby Jimenez shares thoughts from her latest book, “⁠Dignity Day: A guidebook for anyone searching for comfort and clarity relative to the end-of-life medications⁠.” This conversation goes beyond the logistics of MAID to get at the heart of what is happening for terminally ill individuals and their families. Why would someone choose MAID? How do others feel about that? What happens if we walk away? Can we make the space to “step into their shoes”? Written with compassion for wherever someone stands in relation to this experience – the terminally ill person, the spouse, the children, the loved ones – this book may help you have a thoughtful, feeling-informed conversation.


For more information on Best Life Best Death please visit our website at ⁠⁠www.bestlifebestdeath.com⁠⁠
Follow us on our social channels to receive pertinent and helpful resources on death, grieving, and more at:
Facebook: ⁠⁠www.facebook.com/bestlifebestdeath⁠⁠
Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/bestlifebestdeath⁠⁠


Gabby's Website - www.thehospiceheart.net

Sep 13, 202329:14
#105 We Will All Be Called to Care for Someone at the End of Life - Suzanne O'Brien RN
Sep 06, 202331:15
#104 What Is the Role of a Hospice Chaplain? - Ellie Douglass and Kathy Gambino, Hospice Chaplains
Aug 30, 202327:04
#103 How Talking about Death Changes Your Life - Aimee Yawnick, Death Doula and End of Life Coach
Aug 23, 202329:25
#102 Why Bother with Social Media - Joyce Feustel, Boomer Social Media Tutor
Aug 16, 202326:39
#101 Another View of Dementia - Emerson Lee, Dementia Readiness Coach and Life Enrichment Specialist
Aug 09, 202331:45
#100 Let's Talk about Death and Dying - Penny Smith, aka Hospice Nurse Penny
Aug 02, 202326:53
#98 The Experience of the Hospice Doctor's Widow: An Art Journal of Love and Loss - Jennifer O'Brien, Author and Artist
Jul 20, 202342:52
#97 Bonus Episode #1 - Extra Material from Theresa Brown, Barbara Karnes and Avani Dilger
Jul 12, 202330:41
#96 How Is the End of Life Deck a Conversation Starter? - Lisa Pahl and Lori LoCicero, Co-Creators of The Death Deck
Jun 28, 202328:16
#95 Caring for People with Disabilities at the End of Life: Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable - Carrie Batt, Death Doula and Grief Educator
Jun 21, 202327:55
#94 What Is Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation? - Cheryl Talley, Director of PR and Communications for the Donor Alliance
Jun 14, 202331:49
#93 Financial Matters: How Do You Know Which Questions to Ask? - Shane Phillips - Founder of First Steps Help
Jun 07, 202321:55
#92 Dying with Dad: Tough Talks for Easier Endings - Yvonne Caputo - Author
May 31, 202335:16
#91 It's Hard Being You: A Primer on Being Happy Anyway - Sharon Emery - Author

#91 It's Hard Being You: A Primer on Being Happy Anyway - Sharon Emery - Author

Working with a severe stutter in the field of communication, Sharon Emery faced huge challenges daily. Finding love, raising children, creating satisfying work – all of these laid the ground for losses and grief yet to come. Sharon’s approach to “limits” and “being happy anyway” can show us all what human resilience is about. As she says, “Limits don’t define our lives so much as empower us to shape them. We determine the trajectory of the story around the limits we face.” Sharon's book is a 2023 Michigan Notable Book, and as one of the judges for that award wrote: “How can you look at some of the challenges she’s faced and not think that’s a remarkable story?”

May 24, 202326:59
#90 Donating Your Body to Science: Why? How? - Kate Serr - Admin Coordinator for the Colorado State Anatomical Board
May 17, 202321:03
#89 Doulas… from the First Breath to the Last: A Conversation with a Birth Doula and an End-of-Life Doula - Gabby Jimenez and Claudia Peñate
May 10, 202333:16
#88 The Art and Science of Reconstruction - Monica Torres - Funeral Director, Embalming and Reconstruction Specialist
May 03, 202331:28
#87 Patient-Centered Care and Medical Assistance in Dying - Dr Stefanie Green - Doctor, Author, Speaker, Educator
Apr 26, 202354:18
#86 What Does Active Dying Look Like? Julie McFadden, aka Hospice Nurse Julie - RN/BSN, Social Media Educator
Apr 19, 202327:17
#85 Help Texts: Expert Support in Hard Times - Emma Payne, Founder and Barbara Karnes, RN and Educator
Apr 11, 202335:16