The Last Breath — A Podcast About Death And Dying

This episode is all about the work of the palliative care nurse. Kevin Tardiff and Sarah Clunie talk about their work caring for those who have reached the end of their life journey. Hospice Waikato, in association with Free FM, presents The Last Breath – A Podcast About Death And Dying.

Bernard Arthur talks about his life journey and the stage four emphysema that is bringing it to a close. Clinical nurse educator Zoe Anderson-Howell talks about the vocation of nursing, the joy of working in palliative care, the importance of having a death plan and being open and honest about life’s one true certainty and as she says talking about dying doesn’t make you die faster.

Hospice Supports Every Person to Live Life Well Until Their Last Breath Susan Hassall University of Waikato Pro-Chancellor, Hospice Waikato board member and acting CEO of Hospice Waikato talks about the difference Hospice makes to the lives of patients and families including her own. Her husband James died a year ago and she wonders how it might have been without the care and support that Hospice provided. Then there’s the issue of funding. In an insightful and penetrating interview Palliative care specialist Dr Debbie Barham talks about her work, the lessons she learned from the death of her sister Lynley and the importance of being open and honest about death.

In this series I’m talking to the bereaved, the dying and the people who care for them and as we explore the work of Hospice we are also exploring the process of death while lifting the veil from a subject that is seldom addressed in a open and forthright manner. In a profound interview Grief Counsellor and Family Services Team Leader Charmaine Smit talks about grief, forgiveness, the recent loss of her husband Pete and the importance of loving with intent. Impressed with the way Hospice cared for his late sister Susan, Chris Kaua got involved as a volunteer and later became a full-time employee. Chris talks about his work as Facilities and Equipment Team Leader and the joy of caring for others.

Andrew Johnstone talks with Hospice Waikato’s Volunteer Services manager Karen Mansfield, and Sam Simpkins, a nurse and mother of two whose husband Shane died in January 2016.