We go back to Covid-19, which will never really leave us now – the idea of it is with us forever. Vaccines will make a huge difference, saving lives. Yes, at Good Grief! we talk about death, but facing off against Covid-19 is now part of that conversation. At the … Read more
I’m creating workshops on death and dying, so Carol Arrowsmith and Kate Mason at Sydney’s Bayside Council invited me to spend last Friday at Peter Kenyon’s brilliant ‘Bank of IDEAS’ workshop. It’s a community-focused approach to mixing great ideas with existing resources to unleash enormous potential. So inspiring. Peter’s quote … Read more
As the organisers say, it’s “a time to talk about what matters most”. “National Advance Care Planning Week is an annual initiative by Advance Care Planning Australia that encourages all Australians, regardless of their age or health status, to make their future health care preferences known,” they explain on their … Read more
“There is a growing concern that the welfare of health care staff needs to be addressed in the weeks and months ahead,” The BBC reports, as we check in on Covid-19 again today. There have been 107.937,561 cases of Covid-19 worldwide and 2,367,122 deaths. In the UK, there have been … Read more
The grief journey is often about hope, or rekindling it – the crucial ‘other’ component. When someone receives a diagnosis of a terminal illness they have to make a lot of adjustments, including adapting to the radical change to their dreams about the life they were going to have. Adjusting … Read more
It’s Australia Day tomorrow and in this country we’re divided about it. That’s because so many of our First Nations people point out that for them it’s not a day of celebration but a day of mourning, since their land was invaded and many of their lives were lost in … Read more
Today, January 21, Worldometers says there have been 2,080,154 deaths from Covid-19, out of 97,218,195 infections. This as the new President of the USA, Joe Biden, on the eve of his inauguration grieved the 400,000 Covid-19 deaths in his country, saying: “To heal, we must remember.” “‘It’s hard sometimes to … Read more
Of the many articles I read last year, this one really lingered. It’s an interview with the always provocative, always fiercely practical Colleen Cartwright. Journalist Caroline Egan published it in HelloCare in November last year. Colleen is a specialist in aged care, advance care planning and the rights of the … Read more
It’s a moment of reflection and a time to pause. Our wonderful graphic design team, Amy and Laura at the Good Stuff Creative have signalled some changes in their work and life schedule, so that’s a sign! Time to break for Christmas, regroup and do some strategic planning for next … Read more
Would you like to join us to talk about the difficult subject of death, which comedian Billy Connelly likens to the “the big bully at school”? It’s wonderful to be out chatting and meeting people again, since where I live in Sydney, Australia, we’ve got Covid-19 down to a minimum … Read more
A report from the Australian charity Groundswell has just been released and it makes fascinating reading. Groundswell is committed to increasing death literacy and it’s best known project is Dying to Know Day. About itself, Groundswell explains: “An independent charity, we work at the intersection of health care, palliative care … Read more
Updated February 2022 Jean Kittson’s latest role is caring for her parents in the challenging, frustrating time of COVID-19. My interview with Jean appears in this week’s editions of Mosman Daily, North Shore Times and The Daily Telegraph. Like so many of us today, Jean – well-known Australian commentator, actor, … Read more
The “Aged Care and Covid-19 – a special report”, prepared by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety makes fascinating reading. Released on September 30, it highlights the human cost imposed when elderly people are separated from their loved ones in the name of disease control and the … Read more
The challenges continue for those of us grappling with Covid-19 restrictions and the impacts for the elderly in aged care. This has become a very personal dilemma for me. My 96-year-old father has developed a sense of being imprisoned and I must say his distress over this has caused my … Read more
Updated February 2, 2022. Friend and fellow traveller Mimi passed this info along. It’s a resource to help with grief, prepared by Harvard Medical School’s publishing house. This line attracted our attention: “You’ll learn that some of the things we’ve been taught about grief don’t necessarily hold true.” For example, … Read more
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