death (4)

8646113490?profile=original[Fear of Death: A Fear of Life] A new series from the HEAL (Hospice Educators Affirming Life) Project​ and the Hospice Volunteer Association​

Often our fear of death is associated with the unknown. Anita Moorjani​ was interviewed on the Today Show about her own Near Death Experience (NDE), which gives us some insight into what dying may be like.

“Within four days [of the NDE], my tumors shrunk by 70 percent, and the doctors were shocked...” Anita's story was fully vetted by medical researchers and confirmed that her recovery from cancer could not be attributed to medical treatment because it was impossible for the body to expel that many cancer cells in 4 days. It is an astonishing story that baffled the researchers. You can find her original report on the NDE Research website at the link below. She has written an inspiring book describing her life experience up to and including the NDE titled "Dying To Be Me."

http://www.nderf.org/

Full article and video interview from Today Show: click here

Greg Schneider
Founding Director/CEO, HEAL Project
Founder & President, HVA

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8646113460?profile=originalBeyond the Veil: Our Journey Home

by Diane Goble

is now available from most major book sellers in large print as a workbook to help caregivers and patients navigate through their end of life journey with grace and dignity to a peaceful transition.

Written by a near-death experiencer, melanoma survivor, hospice volunteer, transition guide, psychologist and septuagenarian, it is a textbook for caregivers who want to be more present with their patients, whether they are nurses, hospice volunteers, holistic practitioners or family members. The information in the book comes from a training course developed by the author in 2008 to encourage paraprofessionals to become Transition Guides (doulas or spiritual midwives) becauset the end of life, we are actually birthing the soul. 

It is also a journal for patients whether they have been diagnosed with a potentially terminal illness, are elderly and in failing health, or are perfectly healthy and want to feel empowered no matter how or when they find themselves out of their body and still conscious.

Information and questions are provided to guide people toward having The Conversation about their end of life wishes with their families and physicians, filling out Advance Healthcare Directives and POLST forms, understanding hospice and palliative care options, and considering the Death with Dignity option.

There are meditations and guided visualizations to help people process their life review, clear their conscience, make amends and come to terms with the end of their lives. The are instructions for writing one's own Personal Transition Guidebook, which may be read to the person as he or she is dying to guide the departing soul to the Light.

The information is based on the author's near-death experience during a white water river rafting accident during which she was given the choice to return to her body with a mission to teach others that WE DON"T DIE.

As Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross said... We simply slip out of our body like it was an old worn out coat and step into the sunshine.

It is also based on her years of study into ancient religions and philosophies about the process of dying and ideas about an after life, and recent studies into the continuation of consciousness after death of the body.

The book is also available for Kindle, however that version is for quick reference as it is obviously not a workbook. Reviews posted to amazon.com and other sites are much appreciated. You're invited to contact the author through her blog-- Let's talk about death and dying...

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Curious About How the End of Life Might Go?

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 ​The latest blog post from our [Fear of Death: A Fear of Life] series from the HEAL (Hospice Educators Affirming Life) Project​ and the Hospice Volunteer Association

David Schneider, BBC Radio Show Host, talks to palliative care consultant Kathryn Mannix about what dying is like

David Schneider is terrified of death.

In his two editions of One to One he wants to try to overcome his fear by talking to those who have first-hand understanding of dying. In this programme, he talks to Palliative Care consultant, Kathryn Mannix.

With almost forty years of clinical experience and witnessing over twelve thousand deaths, she believes that a 'good death' is possible even when you are seriously ill.

She explains the process of dying to David. This, she believes, if accepted by the patient, removes much of the anxiety and fear surrounding the end of life.

To listen to the interview click here and scroll down to the [Fear of Death] section of HVA's National Hospice Document Repository (NHDR).

Greg Schneider
Founding Director/CEO, HEAL Project
Founder & President, HVA

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A Balance To It All



 I woke up excited. I had the opportunity to facilitate an in service about Touch Awareness in Caregiving to a group of hospice nurses in my favorite hospice.

When I arrived I was told by the Nursing Director that a resident had died the night before. She had been with him all morning as staff and friends had participated in bathing his body and preparing him for his journey from the house.

All staff, including the nurses attending the in service, were asked to participate in the ceremony of departure. The body would be carried out shortly before the in service was scheduled to end, therefore I was asked if I could end a bit earlier than scheduled.

 The door bell rang; it was time to come to the dining room for the ceremony.

Once there we formed two lines and a bowl of rose petals appeared. We passed the bowl around and all took a handful of petals. Then we were told the deceased wanted us to sing Amazing Grace.

While singing, two well dressed men came down the stairs slowly carrying a gurney with the deceased gentleman draped in a shroud, bringing attention to the serenity in his face. It could have been the streets of New Orleans!

As they passed through the dining hall between the two lines  we sang as we sprinkled rose petals on the body.

There I was looking into the face of the deceased, someone I had never known, who didn’t know me, singing, welling up with tears, sprinkling rose petals and realizing that the sacredness of the moment transcended personal relationships.

This was honoring the cycle of life; the human spirit; human suffering and the profound ordinariness of this extraordinary morning.

As the gurney proceeded out the door and through the garden we began to take our places at the table; some with bag lunches and me looking in the fridge for leftovers.

The lunch was somewhat silent for a few minutes. We were digesting food for the soul. Our eye contact and quiet breaths together told the story of the blessed honor we had shared. Then, as if a bell had rung, the talk about the afternoon schedule began.

I finished my lunch and left to go down the street to see a client in another residential care facility.

As I walked outside I was aware of people walking fast; wearing black, and looking at their palms with plugs stuck in their ears. I had to be careful as everyone was in some kind of  personal isolated state, connecting with life through cyberspace. The outside world suddenly felt  empty.

I paused. Remembering the gentle aroma of rose petals, I expressed silent gratitude for my morning in the hospice.

Blessings,

Irene Smith www.everflowing.org


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CAREGIVERS STORE

Just Published!!
by Rashani Rea & Kathy Douglas

Those who companion suffering daily, such as hospice nurses and volunteers, will surely appreciate this beautiful work. With 62 original art collages by Rashani Réa, five beautiful chapters by Kathy Douglas, and a foreword by Jean Watson, this exquisite book is a peaceful refuge for contemplation, inquiry, reflection and inspiration for those who traverse the joys and sorrows of nursing.

Kathy Douglas, RN, MPH-HA is a nationally recognized nurse leader, filmmaker and entrepreneur. 

Rashani Réa is a prolific artist and musician, a creatrice of sanctuaries and a respected spiritual mentor.

“This is a beloved book and beyond a book. It is an evocative, poetic, ecstatic, and inspirited sacred, experiential calling. A calling to you--YES, YOU.” 

— Jean Watson, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, Living Legend (AAN)

“Those who companion suffering daily need to turn inward to metabolize what they have witnessed. This exquisite book, filled with beautiful images and poetic wise words, is the inspiration and support needed to grow a wise heart.” 

— Frank Ostaseski, founder and director of the Metta Institute and author of The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully

“In this unique time of the COVID-19 pandemic, this book should be considered a tribute to the tremendous courage being displayed by nurses around the world. There is much wisdom conveyed throughout by those who have been there serving others with such grace.” 

Greg Schneider President, HVA, co-author of The Changing Face of Hospice Volunteering in Hospice and Palliative Care 

Buy Now