How to Be a Companion on the End of Life Journey

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

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.

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.

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.

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.