Dance To Death Afterlife

Today I’m continuing my series on how some particularly adventurous boomers choose to live out their sunset years outside the United States. There are lots to things to consider before making that choice, and here to help us steer through it is author and former actress Tricia Pimental, who with her husband Keith landed in Fundao, Portugal where they are enjoying the good life at one third the cost of living in the US.    Now I want to give some context for this interview. Tricia is presently the Portugal Correspondent for International Living magazine, and the Dan she mentions in our interview is Dan Prescher who is also with International Living. I interviewed Dan in show #47 where he talks about ex-pat life south of the border. But today we are heading over the big pond to Europe.   Now if you’ve listened to my other shows, you know I am especially interested in how ex-pat living affects marriage and other close family relationships. Tricia and Keith have been married 26 years, have grown children and a pa

You’ve probably heard on the mainstream news about how medical tourism helps us save thousands of dollars on medical procedures that are common to older adults, but how does it really work? Here to tell us how is a former IBM colleague and fellow Boomer Rajesh Rao, founder and CEO of Indushealth, a leading provider of corporate medical travel administration services. This show is a continuation of my series on ways Boomer's can cut expenses and save money while continuing to live high quality lives.

Every month I receive in the mail a lovely little package with a handpainted cover of an exotic place I might like to live. Inside this package are stories of people just like me, boomers who, for one reason or another, have decided to take a walk on the wild side and fully explore the pros and cons of living outside the United States. That package is International Living magazine, and in this episode of Dance I talk with Dan Prescher, a Vice President and writer with the magazine, and more than that, a person who walks the talk. Seventeen years ago Dan and his wife Susan Haskins left snowy Omaha, Nebraska and have lived south of the border ever since, enjoying the sunshine, great food, low prices, and comradery of other North American ex-patriots, or expats as they are called. In this show you’ll get an inside peak into Dan and Susan’s life, their tips on how to live on $2500 a month or less, how ex-pat living affects a marriage, advice on staying connected with grandkids, the good, bad and the ugly of livin

Today’s show is going to be a little bit different. In the past I’ve always interviewed some kind of expert, and that’s been great. We learn a lot from experts. But today, we’re going to right down to where the rubber meets the road and talk with a man who walked the caregiving talk. Dale Gyongyos left his home in North Carolina and travelled cross-country to Arizona, where he and his brother cared for their 95 year old mother until her passing. Now I want to quote something one of Dale’s friends wrote me when she heard this show was coming. She said: As caregivers, we are lost so many times and we struggle. One hears about dealing with aging parents, but experiencing it. So hard. Thank you for choosing Dale. The perfect person with the perfect heart to share his story in an articulate, compassionate and honest way. That’s the story you will hear in this show. Because Dale and I are good friends, like brothers even, our conversation is about as intimate as it gets. You are invited to listen in as I talk with

The guests featured on these three shows all share CTAC’s vision to help Americans with advanced illness, especially the most vulnerable among us, to get comprehensive, high-quality, family-centered care where and when they need it, and in a way that honors their dignity. That makes all the people working toward that vision heroes in my mind, and I am fortunate to have had a view join me on the show.   One of the guests you’ll hear from today is well known among those of us who work to reclaim death as a natural human experience instead of primarily a clinical medical one. His name is BJ Miller. I knew of BJ from his inspiring work as a palliative care doctor with the Zen Hospice Center and from his TED Talk, so when I had a chance to meet him in person at CTAC, well, it was an incredible honor. When you hear him speak, I think you’ll see why.   But first, let’s drop in on a fun conversation I was having with another amazing guest from the CTAC conference, Amber Slichta from the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation. No

In this this episode you will meet Tim Bauerschmidt and Ramie Liddle, a husband and wife team, and John Maycroft from Optum. Tim and Ramie talk about the joys and challenges of accompanying Tim's 90 year old mom, who was afflicted with terminal cancer, on a last, long, wonderful journey across America, with poodle Ringo along for the ride. John Maycroft discusses the best way to think through and decide future life preferences leading to an Advanced Care Directive.

Overview: One of the great privileges I have as host of this podcast is the opportunity to meet so many good people doing really great  work. At the top of that list are the folks at the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care, or CTAC, a DC based organization dedicated to the ideal that all Americans with advanced illness, especially the sickest and most vulnerable among us, receive comprehensive, high-quality, person- and family-centered care that honors their dignity. I love that.    So naturally I was super stoked to be invited to CTACs annual conference where I got to hear from folks on the front lines of the battle to transform care from the fragmented, siloed systems that result in unnecessary suffering to one where caregivers and the people they serve are empowered and getting the care they want when and where they choose. Today I want to introduce two people from the front lines of this great challenge, Torrie Fields and Dr. Stephen Bekanich.   Now please understand these recordings were made at the con

Each of us has a story to tell…a most important story, that is, the story of our lives. But as we age, and especially if our fate includes a disability like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, then that story can easily get lost or jumbled. That’s where a new service called MemoryWell comes in. MemoryWell is the brainchild of Jay Newton-Small, an entrepreneur with a long and successful career in journalism. While caring for her own late father, who suffered from Alzheimers, Jay used her writing skills to tell his story in a way that burdensome questionnaires just can’t do. His caregivers loved it, and it totally transformed the quality of care he received. Now MemoryWell is available to all of us, and here to tell us about it is inventor, entrepreneur, and professional journalist Jay Newton-Small. Copyright © 2018 by Danbra LLC. All rights reserved.

"It was fun, fun, fun till your daddy took the T-Bird away," the song goes.    Well that's how a lot of elders feel when a doctor or child who is concerned for the elders safety (not to mention others on the road) urges the aged parent to stop driving. No more fun for you!   Not so fast! Shared car services like Uber, plus a host of third parties, are working hard to make their fleet of cars accessible to older folks who might not have a smartphone. That makes calling a car a bit tricky, because the Uber app uses GPS to locate the passenger, but as my guest Jay Holly from Uber explains, they have a few tricks and tips of their own that make it easy as pie.   Be sure to notice in this interview how Uber has added Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles, called UberWAV, to their network, and about "Uber Central," which allows any bar, hairdresser, senior center, restaurant or other organization to summon an Uber car from a regular browser. It's the perfect way to get mom home again!   Finally, check out my short "Senior

Join me as OnGuardian founder and I talk about Brazil, his years in Angola, and how an unexpected crisis with his father back home led to the creation of OnGuardian, an advanced solution that empowers family caregivers by streamlining support, collaboration and access to information while providing care recipients with and easy to use voice interface, powered by Amazon Echo and Alexa.  

What’s the best predictor of your child’s emotional well-being? It’s not great schools, hugs, or Pixar movies. Researchers at Emory University found that whether a kid knew their family history was the number one indicator. Raja Badr-el-Din and Mark Valentine of Ramblin’ Stories, both 23 years old, intuitively knew that. They sensed that without the stories of elder seniors, their lives would be somehow less rich, and their struggle would be greater. That’s when they cooked up a scheme. They fixed up a 1973 Chevy milk truck and took to the road, recording the stories of whatever elder showed up. Along the way they learned one of the great truths of life, plus how to get a cheap hot shower on the road. Their adventure reminds me of something I would have done at their age…and would still do! Oh, that plus Ken Kesey’s magic bus ride of 1964, an event that touched a match to the powder keg of the 60’s. Copyright © 2017 by Danbra LLC. All rights reserved.

Stephen Jenkins is my good friend ~ we have known each other for over a decade. He stood by my side as I journeyed through some of the most harrowing and scary stretches of my life, always with encouragement, love, compassion, and when needed, a dose of good humor. It is no small surprise that he is much loved by the men he cares for as they move through their own harrowing journey, from the peaks of power and strength, through growing weakness and vulnerability, and eventually, to death. I can only hope that when my time comes that Stephen is there for me, or someone like him, someone who has the heart for end-of-life-care. Please join me for an intimate look at the challenges and blessings of being a spiritual hospice caregiver in this interview with the amazing Stephen Jenkins.

In part one of my interview with Ann Hoffner, author of The Natural Burial Cemetery Guide: A State-by-State Guide, we talked about where, how and why to choose a green burial. Ann chose a green burial for her own father, and after learning about how much better natural burial is for the environment, it’s what I want for myself as well. With a green burial, you save the earth from toxic chemicals, ugly concrete vaults or other unnatural weirdness, and just let nature takes its course with your body. It really is the greenest way to go, and here to tell you more about it is Ann Hoffner, author and sailing nomad, in part two of my interview with her on the Dance to Death Afterlife podcast.

Green cemeteries have been popping up like daisies, so Ann Hoffner wrote the definitive guide on where to find them, what they offer, how much they charge, and the story behind them. A green burial is one where the body is buried in a shroud or casket made of natural, biodegradable materials, without toxic embalming fluids, typically in a naturalized setting like a meadow or woodlands. Her book is called The Natural Burial Cemetery Guide: A State-by-State Guide: Where, How and Why to Choose Green Burial.  As soon as I learned about this option, I decided it was for me, and maybe it will be for you too. Ann’s book will help you choose, and here to tell you more about it is the author herself, in the first of my two part interview with Ann Hoffner on the Dance to Death Afterlife Podcast.

This episode was recorded at the 6th Annual Afterlife and Awareness Conference in St. Louis, MO, where I had the pleasure of meeting Rev. Olivia Bareham of Sacred Crossings. You can hear the birds and breezes in the background as we sat under the sun in the hotel courtyard on a beautiful Missouri day. Olivia is a certified Death Midwife, Home Funeral Guide and Celebrant. She holds bachelors degrees in Education and Natural Theology and Sacred Healing and is an ordained Inter-faith Minister. Olivia’s experience as an auxiliary nurse, hospice volunteer and her mother’s end-of-life caregiver, inspired her to investigate more meaningful and personal alternatives to traditional funeral practices. Plus, she is a closet rock-star. We cover a gamut of topics related to home funeral care, including: If and where it's legal (Spoiler: Yes, and everywhere) A cheap but beautiful and deeply personal alternative to an expensive casket How our deaths are affecting the environment What she learned about death from giving bi

"There is hope in death if you drink from the whole cup of life. It makes the whole thing all right.” Wisdom not from beyond the grave, but close to it, and spoken by one of the the many people featured in the new film Mortal by filmmakers Sara Feldmann Sheehan and Bobby Sheehan. Featured are people whose lives have been deeply touched by death. Their wisdom is special. It is worth paying attention to, and the film presents it to you in a poignant and beautiful way. Mortal is a film that is both easy and difficult to watch. Easy because of the superior quality of Sara and Bobby’s craft, the skill of their production, and the beauty of their cinematography. Difficult because, well, most of us don’t want to look at death that closely. But if you do, if you dare, you will find Mortal’s story heartbreaking at times, but ultimately a noble and uplifting calling to the human spirit.

I am back from the 6th Annual Afterlife and Awareness Conference where I had the honor of being the Master of Ceremonies. I met so many amazing people and learned new things about death and near death experiences (NDE) that really blew my mind. My creative juices were flowing, and one of my fellow brainstormers was Pati Pellerito of Healing Gongs. Sound therapy is an effective and proven modality that uses vibrational sound to help reduce pain and stress, ease tension, and create a sense of peace and well being. Pati is a skilled sound therapist who uses beautifully handcrafted instruments to nourish your neurological system and shift you into a dream-like space, allowing you to release and surrender more deeply. On this show you'll hear Pati play the instruments, which include over 20 Tibetan bowls and her latest acquisition -- a "planet gong" made in Germany. We also brainstorm on how to design a "death room" that offers comfort to the dying in the same way "birthing rooms" offer comfort to mother and child

Bios Incube is the world´s first system designed to help grow the remains of your loved ones into trees.

Robert Kopecky is the author of the book "How to Survive Life (and Death): A Guide for Happiness in This World and Beyond,” in which he writes about his three Near Death Experiences (NDE), and more importantly, what they taught him about how to live. Robert is an Emmy nominated art director. He designed the credits for Showtime's Weeds, and directed art for the PBS children's show Word World. He contributes to Evolver.net, NewBuddhist.com, TheMindfulWord, and Gaia. You can find Robert on his blog Art, Faith, and the Koko Lions. Robert's newest book, "How to Get to Heaven (Without Really Dying): Wisdom from a Near Death Survivor" is available on Amazon. I first met Robert Kopecky online, when his tweet caught my eye. It was for a Gaia post entitled “Are Women (Spiritually) Superior To Men? A Call To Action!” Having just finished Robert Bly's male empowerment book "Iron John: A Book About Men," I had a hot flood of testosterone flowing through my veins and thus, more than a few reactions to Robert's post. I sai

The show has a slightly different sound and feel, thanks to a little persuasion from someone influential. We'll still be talking about death, dying and the afterlife, but with something new.