The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Author Sarah Vosburgh is a daughter who became a caregiver for her mother, learning to navigate advocacy, care coordination, and the intricacies of memory care.  Sarah and her mom had a challenging relationship from the time Sarah was a young woman, complicating decision-making when her mom developed Alzheimer’s Disease. Because her mom never discussed any end of life wishes, Sarah was flying blind making decisions for her.  Being an only child complicated things even further.  Sarah acknowledges that the circumstances of her mom’s decline brought a lot of anticipatory grief.  Due to the timing of disease progression, her mom died before Sarah could start hospice care for her.  Sarah’s book Who Will Name the Bees? describes the challenges she faced during the later part of her mom’s life, and how Sarah dealt with complicated family dynamics as an only child caregiver. It’s a beautiful telling of their experience as mother and daughter at the end of life.  Connect with author Sarah Vosburgh: Website:  sarahvosburgh.com Social media:  Facebook  Instagram  Twitter (X)  Threads  TikTok Purchase your copy of Who Will Name the Bees? Here or here

Podcast host Helen Bauer is a great addition to your event or conference! For speaking inquiries, send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible.  And we believe you deserve to get good hospice care. 

If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help.  It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time.

Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com. 

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website:  theheartofhospice.com Social media:  Facebook   Instagram   LinkedIn   YouTube Email:  helen@theheartofhospice.com

In this deeply moving episode, author Oliver Christen tells how he supported his mother and her decision to embrace a death fast, creating a deeply spiritual experience for both mother and son.  After living a very full and active life, Oliver’s mother began declining in her abilities and mobility.  Quality of life was vitally important to her, and she began conversations with Oliver and his sister about the end of her life.  With the support of both her children, Oliver’s mom chose to utilize a death fast to move towards her death.  She made a conscious choice to meet death on her own terms.  Through conversations, laughter, gratitude, and acceptance, Oliver walked with his mom up to and through her death. His new book As She Chose, Oliver chronicles his experience, writing a guidebook for how to be present when the end of life is near.

Connect with author Oliver Christen: Website:  choosingtogo.com  Learn more about Oliver here Purchase your copy of As She Chose here Social media for Oliver Christen:  Instagram

Podcast host Helen Bauer is a great addition to your event or conference! For speaking inquiries, send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible.  And we believe you deserve to get good hospice care. 

If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help.  It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time.

Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com. 

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website:  theheartofhospice.com Social media:  Facebook   Instagram   LinkedIn   YouTube Email:  helen@theheartofhospice.com

More podcast episodes:  The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Listen to this episode to learn details about the work of a death doula with Kacie Gikonyo, better known as Death Doula Kacie. Kacie has built a large online community as a Registered Nurse death educator. She’s the founder of the Death Doula School and her book Laboring Out of Life: A Death Doula’s Approach to Intentional End of Life Care is a resource for death doulas, healthcare professionals, and family caregivers alike.  

Kacie is also the creator of the Labor Out Conference happening Oct. 28, 2026 at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio. The conference brings together healthcare providers and deathcare providers to educate on death, dying, and end of life conversations. It’s a great opportunity for anyone wanting to improve their practice and skills. Featured speakers include Kacie, Dr. Bob Uslander from Empowered Endings, and founder of Your Palliative PA Chelsea Ernest. CEUs are offered for some healthcare professionals. You can register for the Labor Out event here. 

Here are some highlights from today’s episode:

Death should never be so scary we can’t talk about it.
The role of the death doula can be vital in supporting people with life-limiting illness and their caregivers. 
End of Life Doulas, or Death Doulas provide non-clinical support, working side by side with hospice teams.
Kacie advocates for bringing in hospice care sooner, establishing a solid support system for both patient and caregivers.  
Introducing the topic of hospice with their doctor should be easy for patients and decision-makers to do, creating open, honest conversation.
A good starting point is discussion about quality of life, focusing on the patient spending their time doing things that matter to them. 
It’s ok for patients to be direct and tell their healthcare team, “That’s not how I want to spend my time.” That’s another way to define quality of life.
Kacie envisions the role of a death doula becoming commonplace in the next ten years, being integrated into hospitals, rehab units, and long-term care facilities.

Connect with hospice nurse and Death Doula Kacie Gikonyo:

Website: deathdoulakacie.com Social media: @deathdoulakacie on all platforms Website for The Labor Out Conference: Where Healthcare Meets Deathcare): deathdoulakacie.com/laborout Purchase your copy of Kacie’s new book Laboring Out of Life: A Death Doulas Approach to Intentional End of Life Care here

Podcast host Helen Bauer is a great addition to your event or conference! For speaking inquiries, send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible. And we believe you deserve to get good hospice care. 

If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care. A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time.

Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com. 

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website: theheartofhospice.com Social media: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube Email: helen@theheartofhospice.com

More podcast episodes: The Heart of Hospice Podcast

In her work as a Spiritual Life Doula and hospice nurse, Marggie Moertl walks with her clients through the challenges of chronic illness and decline, continuing through their final days.  The work of a doula is unknown for many people, so this episode offers a glimpse into the care a doula can provide.  Marggie explains how a doula provides a complementary service alongside hospice and shares what it means to hold a sacred space when she works with her clients.  The roles of doula and hospice nurse are very different - despite being a RN, Marggie never uses her skills and experience as a medical professional while working as a doula. Providing support for deep conversations and life review is an important component of her work.  Marggie uses her intuitive skills to help clients maintain and strengthen their connection to soul during difficult illness. In this way, she encourages clients to choose the treatment path they desire, while fostering their own healing from within.

Connect with Marggie Moertl:  

Website:  embraceyourinnerselfllc.com Social Media:  Facebook  Facebook   LinkedIn   Substack

Purchase your copy of Sally: A Memoir and Life As A Prayer here

Podcast host Helen Bauer is a great addition to your event or conference! For speaking inquiries, send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible.  And we believe you deserve to get good hospice care. 

If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help.  It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time.

Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com. 

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website:  theheartofhospice.com Social media:  Facebook   Instagram   LinkedIn   YouTube

Email:  helen@theheartofhospice.com

More podcast episodes:  The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Keeping her balance as a daughter, mom, and wife made Certified Dementia Practitioner Amanda Bailey feel pulled in multiple directions, feeling the full range of emotions as a sandwich caregiver for her mom.  When her mom died of Alzheimer’s Disease, Amanda’s life was changed forever.  Now she’s supporting other families and caregivers to get the help they need to find home care that’s a good fit.  She has first hand knowledge of how senior living communities operate and shares that knowledge with the families she helps.

Here are some highlights from our conversation:

Listen closely - small comments can give big insight into your Person’s thought process
Caregivers need to be observant, following up with reassurance and support
Progress toward decisions about home care can be slow, in small increments
Think ahead - crisis mode is a bad place to make decisions
Don’t make promises that you might not be able to keep about caring for your Person at home 

Connect with Amanda Bailey of Help for My Parents Website - helpformyparents.com Social Media - FaceBook   LinkedIn  Link to Amanda’s workbooks 

Podcast host Helen Bauer is a great addition to your event or conference! For speaking inquiries, send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible.  And we believe you deserve to get good hospice care. 

If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help.  It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care.  A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time.

Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com. 

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website:  theheartofhospice.com Social media:  Facebook   Instagram   LinkedIn   YouTube

Email:  helen@theheartofhospice.com

More podcast episodes:  The Heart of Hospice Podcast