Ending Life Well – the Otago Community Hospice produced podcast series for family carers – has hit 8000 downloads since launching in 2022. The podcast was created to provide accessible information for family carers who have been thrown in the deep end caring for loved ones who are dying.

The first Ending Life Well episode was uploaded just over two years ago and the series has grown from strength to strength, with over 1000 downloads in the last 90 days alone.

There are now 29 episodes, with recent episodes diving into areas like Can We Talk?– Opening Up Conversations About Dying with UK specialist Dr Kathryn Mannix, whose practical experience shows that whether we like it or not, sometimes we have to take a deep breath and get into a conversation that we might have preferred to avoid. Also, an episode with Dr. Ira Byock –  a palliative care physician from the USA and author of “The Four Things That Matter Most" – who talks about the power of the phrases “Please forgive me,” “I forgive you,” “Thank you,” and “I love you” —  to mend and nurture our relationships and inner lives. Other new episodes include topics such as Relationships and Intimacy at the End of Life, Supporting Teenagers and Young Adults Going Through Grief, Moving Into Aged Care - Practical Tips and Dementia with Dignity.

Supporting this huge workforce of carers – unpaid, untrained and in uncharted territory, is one of our most important roles as a specialist provider, says senior palliative care nurse and podcast producer Denise van Aalst.

“With this podcast series we can provide reliable advice and information for carers who may not have the time or headspace to read the on-line resources available to carers. Please share with anyone who could use some help while navigating this very tricky terrain.”

The series is available on all good podcast apps and via our website under carer education.

(See the story - Sharing Our Resources Far and Wide - in this newsletter to learn more about how you can utilise these podcasts for your own patients).