200 Shari Brase-Smith RN, MS on Hospice Education, Facility Care, and Having Hard Conversations

200 Shari Brase-Smith RN, MS on Hospice Education, Facility Care, and Having Hard Conversations  Host Marie Betcher, a registered nurse and former hospice nurse, marks episode 200 of Hospice Explained with guest Shari Brase-Smith RN, MS, a hospice nurse, educator, and author. Shari recounts her nursing background since 1978 and how the rapid deaths of her husband and mother shaped her understanding of end-of-life needs, emphasizing that even experienced clinicians are often unprepared because healthcare and society focus on curing and avoid dying discussions. She describes why families and facility staff lack clear, practical guidance on what dying looks like, symptom management, and when to involve hospice, especially in nursing homes and assisted living. Shari explains her books are organized for quick, crisis-time answers, highlights the importance of conversations about wishes and forgiveness, and shares her Christian-focused poetry book on grief and hope. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:29 Episode 200 Guest Intro 02:27 Shari's Nursing Journey 03:31 Personal Loss and Whirlwind 07:24 Why End-of-Life Education Matters 11:24 Books Filling the Resource Gap 17:02 Eating and Drinking at End of Life 19:17 Starting Hard Conversations 23:27 Forgiveness and Peace 27:28 Helping Facility Staff Work With Hospice 32:09 Poetry Faith and Grief 37:21 Closing Thanks and Subscribe https://sharibrase-smith.com/ If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact [email protected] www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.