A story about the developing work of death doulas can be found on Page 90 in the October issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly, available now. The introduction: “There is a quiet, serene revolution going on in the way we farewell our loved ones. Caroline Baum meets the women, known as … Read more
Yesterday I signed on as a dear friend’s next-of-kin, through the NSW police program. My friend lives alone and registering her form with her local police station means if she’s involved in an accident or major incident, I’ll be informed, so will be able to support her. I’ll let her … Read more
When I got back from my recent travels in country NSW with family, I found this posting to her followers from Susan Wyndham. Thank you for sharing your thoughts Susan. The genre of reflecting on death and what it means, continues to grow. From Susan: “You might be interested in … Read more
by Rachel Thompson, Mashable. When someone you love passes away, turning to Facebook can be a profoundly helpful way of processing that loss and expressing your grief. But, for the deceased’s nearest and dearest, social media can be deeply overwhelming and upsetting in the immediate aftermath and even the long … Read more
Had coffee with social commentator Andrew Denton on the weekend to discuss the good death. We disagree on a lot of things – quite fiercely – and at times the argument got very heated. But he said something beautiful, which I do agree with. “If depression is a black dog, … Read more
“With impending death, the circulation slows, the heartbeat weakens, and the breathing gets slower or more irregular, but just as the heart beat and breathing case, the brain seems to have a burst of activity.” – So says Dr Michael Barbato in a recent interview. The interview can be found … Read more
A photo of my mother just with me – something very rare. It’s Mother’s Day in Australia – a chance to reflect on all the lovely mothers who have gone before us. I’m loving seeing my friends tributes splashed across social media. I love especially the photos of women taken … Read more
Patient advocate Dorothy Kamaker reports this note from the coalface in her advocacy work. “Deirdre wanted her 93-year-old mother Helen to be allowed to die. Helen had been three weeks in hospital with a terminal illness and was being “tortured” by futile treatments with no hope of recovery. For Deirdre, … Read more
It’s easy to miss the practical companioning aspect to the care of the dying in our modern, acute-care oriented health system. Creativity and Life coach Helen Carmichael lives in a Bondi flat with a view over that iconic Sydney beach and she watched from her window as an elderly neighbour lay … Read more
It is fascinating but not surprising how experiences of grief can be quite different. “My mother died in a car crash. She drove into the path of an oncoming vehicle about 15 years ago – fully her fault,” Graham said. “We felt no anger at either her or the other … Read more
A friend on the other side of the world is grieving today because her father has died. When I go to pick up the phone it is her night time; our dark and light are not in sync. So no words seem quite right just now. Instead, just thoughts…… Megan … Read more
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