When people learn you work in end of life care, they say things like, “That’s so interesting,” or “I could never do that.” Sometimes the reaction is positive and sometimes it’s negative, but in both cases there is often an unspoken question—why on earth would you want to do THAT?
There are lots of reasons. They will be different for each individual, but underneath they boil down to the same thing. Death is something that everyone does but it is a major event every time. It is important and personal, individual and shared by all of us. Death is a sacred, transformative moment and to be with someone at their death is an honor. Add to that the fact that we live in a culture where most people are in denial about death and don’t know what to do when it happens, and now death care workers are not just helping to celebrate people as they transition out of this life, we are also providing a useful service to people and families who need guidance through the process.
We often use the word “transition,” but the founders of Odonata Care, who wrote and published The Hospice Care Plan, would call it a transformation. Two long-time hospice nurses who have worked in both standard and pediatric palliative care, between them Nancy Heyerman RN BSN CHPN and Brenda Kizzire RN BSN CHPN have decades of experience caring for end of life patients at all ages. You can learn more about Odonata Care and the work they do at their website, or by coming to see them at IDLM’s Tree of Life Conference in San Antonio from November 1 – 4.
Another speaker we are super excited to welcome is Linda McDowell. A life coach with a background in both nursing and Christian ministry, McDowell is the founder of Powerfully You!, a company through which she offers both motivational life coaching as well as end of life care education and guidance. She is a long-time advocate for the holistic approach to care, especially when it comes to end of life patients, and you can learn more about her in her own words at her website here.
Barbara Karnes often reminds us that taking care of someone who is going to die can look very different from taking care of someone who is going to recover. The ladies at Odonata Care and Powerfully You! understand that difference, and have a lot to teach us about how to approach that care with compassion, grace, and powerful expertise. We can’t wait to hear what they will have to say to us at the IDLM Tree of Life Conference!
