#45 Fast Track CHC: Accessing Care to support Advance Care Planning with Jo Armstrong

In this episode it is my pleasure to talk with Alison Gardner & Sophy Horner from St John's Hospice about their incredible programme Last Days Matter. The programme aims to support people in looking after their loved ones at home and is very much a compassionate community approach to care.

I learn how the programme was developed, what it includes and how to access the Last Days Matter resource.

If you are a team looking to provide better end of life care, or set up a one off or complete education programme in end of life care head to www.speakformelpa.co.uk where I provide details on how I can help you. You will also find information about my Lasting Power of Attorney consultancy and the talks I offer for organisations.

In this episode it is my pleasure to talk with Gary Ryecroft, a solicitor and resident legal expert on Rip Off Britain. Gary has also been a trustee for what was the National Council for Palliative Care and later a chair of the Dying Matters Forum. This is a supper conversation, we talk about the podcast  Gary created as part of the We Need to Talk About Death series with Dame Joan Bakewell and we talk about Gloria Hunniford’s live televised Lasting Power of Attorney signing. We also cover capacity, digital assets and Advance Decisions to Refuse Treatment and there is so much to learn from this rich conversation.

If you are a team looking to provide better end of life care, or set up a one off or complete education programme in end of life care head to www.speakformelpa.co.uk where I provide details on how I can help you. You will also find information about my Lasting Power of Attorney consultancy and the talks I offer for organisations.

In this episode it is my pleasure to talk with Peter Berry and Deb Bunt. Peter was diagnosed at 50 with early onset Alzheimer’s.

Previously the owner of a thriving timber business, Peter’s life changed upon the diagnosis.  He has emerged through depression and two suicide attempts to be a passionate advocate of living well with dementia.  A keen cyclist, Peter has used his cycling to raise money for and awareness of Alzheimer’s.  He is often seen cycling around rural Suffolk on his penny farthing bike.

Deb retired to Suffolk from London and found a new purpose in life when she befriended Peter.  One of Deb’s ambitions had been to be a publisher author and meeting Peter has enabled her to achieve this. Her friendship with Peter has also instilled a new-found confidence in Deb which she describes as a wonderful gift from Peter.

We talk about what living well means to Peter and the legacy he is creating through his work.

If you are a team looking to provide better end of life care, or set up a one off or complete education programme in end of life care head to www.speakformelpa.co.uk where I provide details on how I can help you. You will also find information about my Lasting Power of Attorney consultancy and the talks I offer for organisations.

If you enjoy the episode or learn something new, please consider buying me a coffee to go towards making more valuable podcasts: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/6nQVJqVgLY

In this episode it is my pleasure to talk to Jim Walmsley, a specialist paramedic in critical care. Jim talks about how Advance Care Planning impacts the work he does, sharing stories and experience.Jim also explains why he is fundraising for the  Intensive Care Society and how you can follow and support his iconic high alpine challenge. 

If you are a team looking to provide better end of life care, or set up a one off or complete education programme in end of life care head to www.speakformelpa.co.uk where I provide details on how I can help you. You will also find information about my Lasting Power of Attorney consultancy and the talks I offer for organisations.

I’d heard about Death Cafés but never attended one and have always wanted to learn more about the movement. In this episode I have the pleasure of talking with Ewout, facilitator of the Death Café Suffolk Transitions.  We talk about the origins of Death Cafés, how they run in practice and what drew Ewout to become involved.

If you are a team looking to provide better end of life care, or set up a one off or complete education programme in end of life care head to www.speakformelpa.co.uk where I provide details on how I can help you. You will also find information about my Lasting Power of Attorney consultancy and the talks I offer for organisations.

If you enjoy the episode or learn something new, please consider buying me a coffee to go towards making more valuable podcasts: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/6nQVJqVgLY

In this episode it is my pleasure to talk with Justine Robinson, Occupational Therapist and Wellbeing Services manager at the Pilgrims Hospice. I learn about the role of an Occupational Therapist and we talk about how therapy work can help find the person in a patient. I learn too about the innovative Blackbird project, the story behind the project and how it is helping to make precious memories.

If you are a team looking to provide better end of life care, or set up a one off or complete education programme in end of life care head to www.speakformelpa.co.uk where I provide details on how I can help you. You will also find information about my Lasting Power of Attorney consultancy and the talks I offer for organisations.

In this episode it is my pleasure to talk with Professor Alison Leary. Alison is a Senior Consultant at the World Health Organisation, Human Resources for Health, and the Chair of Healthcare & Workforce Modelling at London South Bank University.

It’s an important episode and based on Alison’s family experience. We talk the impact of receiving a form in the post to initiate Advance Care Planning, what it felt like and how valuable messages and nuances were lost.

We also acknowledge the importance of having conversations and listening to cues as the basis for person centred Advance Care Planning.

If you are a team looking to provide better end of life care, or set up a one off or complete education programme in end of life care head to www.speakformelpa.co.uk where I provide details on how I can help you. You will also find information about my Lasting Power of Attorney consultancy and the talks I offer for organisations.

Peter Camrass of Camrass Wills kindly supplied sponsorship to produce this episode.  Peter has had no influence in the creation, development or content of this podcast and full control remains the responsibility of Clare Fuller.This is an important episode of Conversations About Advance Care Planning. It’s a very reflective episode with learning for us all. I met with Caroline England, founder and writer of Featherbed Tales, over a year ago – we recorded an episode called Featherbed Tales and the power of voice which you can access in the show notes.

This time, as the saying goes, it’s personal. Caroline shared with me the writing she has produced to try and make sense of her experiences of death and bereavement. It took me a few goes to read and touched so many nerves – I really did smile at some reflections but also found myself in tears at others.

We talk about what  What matters most looks like in action and the power of communication and kindness. Caroline also shares what happened towards the last days of her Mum’s life when anticipatory medications had not been thought through.

I am exceptionally grateful to Caroline for sharing her story and hope that listening to it highlights the importance of care, compassion and preparation towards the end of life.

If you are a team looking to provide better end of life care, or set up a one off or complete education programme in end of life care head to www.speakformelpa.co.uk where I provide details on how I can help you. You will also find information about my Lasting Power of Attorney consultancy and the talks I offer for organisations.

If you enjoy the episode or learn something new, please consider buying me a coffee to go towards making more valuable podcasts: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/6nQVJqVgLY

In this episode it is my pleasure to talk with Judith Silver, founder of Companion Voices. I learn about the origins, development and current work of Companion Voices.

Judith shares what Companion Voices offers to people who are dying and describes how groups normalise conversations around death and dying.

We talk about raising awareness of Companion Voices and how this could fit with a person’s Advance Care Planning.

If you are a team looking to provide better end of life care, or set up a one off or complete education programme in end of life care head to www.speakformelpa.co.uk where I provide details on how I can help you. You will also find information about my Lasting Power of Attorney consultancy and the talks I offer for organisations.

If you enjoy the episode or learn something new, please consider buying me a coffee to go towards making more valuable podcasts: Buy Me a Coffee

In this episode it is my pleasure to catch up with Martin and look back at episodes 51 to 74 of Conversations About Advance Care Planning. We talk about the episodes that have had the greatest impact on Martin and address barriers to creating Martin’s Lasting Power of Attorney. As ever, I am surprised and blown away by Martin’s creative approach to Advance Care Planning, and even the fun he is having in planning ahead.

If you are a team looking to provide better end of life care, or set up a one off or complete education programme in end of life care head to www.speakformelpa.co.uk where I provide details on how I can help you. You will also find information about my Lasting Power of Attorney consultancy and the talks I offer for organisations.

If you enjoy the episode or learn something new, please consider buying me a coffee to go towards making more valuable podcasts: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/6nQVJqVgLY