Caregivers: How Do We Listen at the End of Life?

On Tuesday we welcomed Dr. Richard Wagner, M.Div., Ph.D., ACS to our ‘Be A Healthy Caregiver’ show on Blog Talk Radio.

Dr. Wagner’s book ‘The Amateur’s Guide to Death and Dying: enhancing the End of Life.” provides us with a realistic view of a topic that is often difficult to talk about. Out of Seattle, WA., Dr. Wagner has worked in the field of end of life issues for over 30 years.

As Caregivers, we often face the issues of death on a daily basis. Yet as caregivers, we often help facilitate healthy transitions for the person that we care for and love. “Curiously enough, people who are dying usually have a different priority system at this time in their life…..” As the caregiver, we are so focused on the needs of our caree, sometimes we just need to be present and listen.

During my Caregiving experience with Fr. Orlando, I had the privilege to hold him while he made his transition. I would not have been able to do that without knowing from our conversations that he was at peace with his life and had accepted what was going to happen. Of course, during those marvelous conversations, we had no idea when the time would come, yet we both knew that it would come. Those last few weeks with him were amazing and filled with raw emotions. Honest, heartfelt conversations seemed to happen with such ease. That was his way of preparing me for what was coming down the road. Sometimes, listening is the best answer.

While death is not a ‘lively’ topic to talk about, I am confident that you will find the conversation with Dr. Wagner upbeat, real and sensitive.

To listen to Tuesday’s episode, simply click here. (I would appreciate your feedback on this episode.)

To learn more about Dr. Wagner, click here.

To purchase Dr. Wagner’s books, click here.

Next Tuesday, January 15th at 1:00pm (est) our guest will be Mandy Harrell from WeareverUSA . The Wearever brand offers comfortable, quality, affordable and stylish apparel solutions for everyday health and wellness concerns.