Podcast Recording, Editing and Production in Crest Hill, Illinois
Glenn is a graduate of University of Maine and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. He has a passion for incarnation-based ministry which is why he fell in love with Hospice Chaplaincy…which he did NOT see coming i.e. never considered Hospice Chaplaincy until service on the CCU unit during the VA. His military awards include Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge for coming under direct fire.
This episode is designed to help adults have the needed conversation with a child when death happens in a family. It involves tips on what to say and what not to say.
Kristina Jansz in her article, “The importance of pausing” writes.
Imagine reading a book in which there are no commas or periods. Page after page, all the words run together making it near impossible to decipher the intended meaning.
Imagine listening to a piece of music that doesn’t have any rests in it. What you’d experience is a collection of meaningless noise.
Imagine getting into a car and driving it from point A to point B. At your start point you press the accelerator and, without stopping at stop signs or traffic lights, you don’t release your foot until you reach point B. This action will cause chaos and destruction to you and those around you.
The commas and periods in written word and the rests in music are what give context and meaning to these forms of expressions.
Using the breaks while driving allows you to interact with others respectfully and safely on the road. All of these are examples of Pausing and they create order out of chaos. In the same way, taking time out to Pause brings meaning to the energy you output in your life.
In the final stages of life, sexuality is often regarded as not important by health care providers. It is often assumed that when life nears its end, individuals and couples are not concerned about sexual issues and so this is not talked about. Although the need or ability to participate in sexual activity may wane, the need for touch, intimacy, and how one views oneself do not necessarily wane in tandem. Individuals may in fact suffer from the absence of loving and intimate touch in the final months, weeks, or days of life. Dr. Anne Katz has made it her mission to address this topic. You can find out more about Anne’s work here; http://www.drannekatz.com/
Since 2016, he has worked with Frome Medical Practice in Somerset, UK to develop a new model of primary care combined with compassionate communities, one of the most effective therapeutic tools we have in improving length of life and well-being. The health outcomes of this model have been dramatic, with this being the first intervention that has been effective in reducing population emergency admissions.
Along with Professor Allan Kellehear, Dr. Abel formed Compassionate Communities UK, which he is Director with a mandate to develop the broader rollout of compassionate communities in both primary care and end-of-life care. Projects are underway in multiple areas in the UK, and several international cities.
Dr. Abel is joint author of The Compassion Project, along with the prize-winning novelist Lindsay Clarke. The book describes the background to the Frome Project, its implementation and the wider implications of the application of compassion both in medicine and in society at large.
He has published regularly on models of public health palliative care, is an international keynote speaker, appears in media and runs a podcast, Survival of the Kindest.
He will also be speaking at the Elevate compassion virtual summit. You can register to attend the summit for free here.
Honors and Awards
Community Work and Service
Daniel is passionate about helping people deal with what’s going on in their lives. Depending on the setting that means embracing their mortality, coping with hospitalization or maintaining combat readiness.
Joe Newton has been the co-host of the Hospice Chaplaincy show from the very beginning but he has never shared his journey to hospice chaplaincy work. We thought this would be a great opportunity for our listeners to get to know Joe Newton a little more.