While at the bedside of hundreds of people during the dying process, my guest Barbara Karnes, a Registered Nurse, noticed that each death was following a near identical script. Each person was going through the stages of death in almost the same manner. And most families had the same questions. These realizations led Barbara to sit down and write the “Little Blue Book” —  a book that changed an industry. Written in non-medical language for families, her booklet changed the way we experience the death of a loved one, because with knowledge comes understanding, and understanding reduces fear.

Barbara’s most recent project is a 25 minute film called “New Rules for End of Life Care,” in which she compassionately explains the stages of the dying process, talks about behavior changes as they pertain to food, sleep, and withdrawal, and addresses issues relating to the use of narcotics, addiction, and overdosing. The film is racking up more awards than I can list, and when you listen to Barbara speak, you’ll know why. Hers is the voice of wisdom, grace, experience, and kindness.

Please join me for part one of my two part interview with internationally respected speaker, educator, author, thought leader, and now, award winning film producer, Barbara Karnes.
In this show you will learn about:

    Barbara’s new book
    How reducing fear helps patients better manage their own condition
    The process of dying from disease over time
    How the physician’s stumbling block can become yours
    The social and medical impact of losing the dying at home tradition
    The ethics of choosing death
    When to let Grandma go
    Why the medical profession is crippled when it comes to allowing a more natural death
    How the gerbil wheel is killing you
    The signs that someone is dying
    What really causes pain
    Why you will naturally fight death and how to prepare
    Things you can do to help a loved one when they are dying

You can learn more about Barbara’s work at her website bkbooks.com

Barbara Karnes, RN, is an internationally respected speaker, educator, author, and thought leader on matters of end of life. She is a renowned authority to explain the dying process to families, healthcare professionals, and the community at large.

An award-winning nurse and end of life educator, in 2018 Barbara was honored by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization as a HOSPICE INNOVATOR. She was awarded THE INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN WOMAN OF THE YEAR 2015 from the World Humanitarian Awards. As well as THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE AWARD from Kansas University Nursing and THE HORIZON AWARD for Education from Nebraska Methodist College.

Barbara Karnes writes the popular blog, "Something to Think About: a blog on end of life," and maintains an active presence in social media with online communities on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter.

Dance To Death Afterlife Podcast #29: “New Rules for End of Life Care” with RN Barbara Karnes

Laughter has a positive affect on the mind, body, and spirit.  This is a clip from our Five for Friday podcast episode #072, where we discuss the power of laughter to help with learning.  For more information, visit our website at www.theheartofhospice.com/podcast.

The Heart of Hospice

5 for Friday, How Humor Affects the Mind trailer

While at the bedside of hundreds of people during the dying process, Barbara Karnes noticed that each death was following a near identical script. Each person was going through the stages of death in almost the same manner. And most families had the same questions. These realizations led Barbara to sit down and write the "Little Blue Book." The book that changed an industry. 

Gone From My Sight has been in print continuously since 1985 and has sold over thirty million copies. Although it is often imitated, it remains the most widely used patient/family handout on signs of approaching death in the United States. It is the original source. With its publication and distribution, Barbara created one of the most important tools in the Hospice movement today: the patient/family educational booklet.

"New Rules for End of Life Care," "Care For The Caregiver," and "This Is How People Die," Barbara's DVD projects, are starting conversations and garnering awards - in this country and around the world. In these films, Barbara compassionately explains the stages of the dying process, talks about behavior changes as they pertain to food, sleep, and withdrawal, and addresses issues relating to the use of narcotics, addiction, and overdosing. She explains how important it is to take care of yourself as a caregiver as well as guidelines to help you do that personally and with your caregiving team.

“We don’t understand that there’s a normal, natural way of dying,” she says. “My goal is to help neutralize the fear that families and significant others bring to the bedside during the end of life experience.”

Barbara Karnes, RN, is an internationally respected speaker, educator, author, and thought leader on matters of end of life. She is a renowned authority to explain the dying process to families, healthcare professionals, and the community at large.

Barbara has held both clinical and leadership positions, including staff nurse, clinical supervisor, and executive director at Hospices and Home Health Care agencies.

An award-winning nurse and end of life educator, in 2018 Barbara was honored by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization as a HOSPICE INNOVATOR. She was awarded THE INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN WOMAN OF THE YEAR 2015 from the World Humanitarian Awards. As well as THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE AWARD from Kansas University Nursing and THE HORIZON AWARD for Education from Nebraska Methodist College.

Since 1994, Barbara has traveled the country speaking about end of life issues and the dynamics of dying at national and state hospice and palliative care organization conferences, state associations, colleges, nursing schools, hospitals, and hospices. She is the expert that hospice and other healthcare professionals count on to teach them how to explain the dying process to families.

Barbara Karnes writes the popular blog, "Something to Think About: a blog on end of life," and maintains an active presence in social media with online communities on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter.

Barbara has dedicated the last 38 years of her life to the education, care, and comforting of dying people and their loved ones. The most useful things she's learned along the way have been distilled into her materials.

Dance To Death Afterlife Podcast #29: “New Rules for End of Life Care” with RN Barbara Karnes

Barbara Karnes Books: End of Life Education

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