Posts by Marian Krawczyk

Lone dying in hospitals – Development of a student project: an interview with Carla Brooke, CNS

Published on: Author: Marian Krawczyk 2 Comments

The following is an edited transcript of a conversation between Dr Marian Krawczyk and Carla Booke, CNS who is an MSc student in the End of the Life Studies Programme at the University of Glasgow and is currently conducting research for her final dissertation project. You can find out more about her experiences in the… Continue reading

Connecting total pain and the gut microbiome

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“Total pain” is the term used within hospice, palliative, and end-of-life care to describe pain which is complex and overwhelming, and which encompasses physical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions. It is an attempt to encapsulate experiences of suffering that are unique to advancing life-limiting illness, the end of life, and dying. The term was first… Continue reading

The Value of Death at the National Cancer Institute in Mexico City

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In this blog Gina Tarditi, a psychologist in Mexico City and End of Life Studies MSc student, describes an event she organised with oncologists to debate 2022 Lancet Report on the Value of Death. I work at The National Cancer Institute (INCAN) in Mexico City which is one of the largest cancer centers in Latin… Continue reading

Reporting on the First International End-of-Life Doula Symposium

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This blog provides a brief overview of the International End-of-Life Doula Symposium and a link to the Symposium’s summary report. This virtual symposium was held over three days on April 25-27th 2022 and was a co-produced effort between academic researchers, End-of-Life Doulas, and graduate students in our End of Life Studies programme [1]. It was… Continue reading

MSc End of Life Studies students from around the world visit the Dumfries Campus

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By Roz Sunley, End of Life Studies MSc Student Why did postgraduate students from the University of Glasgow travel thousands of miles in early June 2022 to spend a few days at the School of Interdisciplinary Studies in Dumfries? It all began when one student from the End-of-Life Studies Programme announced her intention to visit… Continue reading

Public talk: Bringing the Value of Death Back into Life, with Dr Seamus O’Mahoney

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Does death have value? That’s the question framing the recent Lancet Commission Report on the ‘Value of Death’, and which will be discussed at a free public event at the Crichton Campus in Dumfries, June 7th from 4:00-6:00pm. The conversation will be led by Dr Seamus O’Mahoney, a prize-winning writer and one of the primary… Continue reading

The continuing relevance of total pain in the 21st Century: Call for contributors

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The recent Lancet Commission into the Value of Death reports endemic suffering at the end of life in both global North and South countries and calls for the further expansion of holistic philosophies and practices of end of life care. Here at the End of Life Studies Group, we believe that one way to do… Continue reading

“It’s wooly by necessity”: Describing the role and practices of end-of-life doulas

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Several years ago, I started hearing about a new kind of community-based care role. Some called themselves ‘end-of-life doula’; others identified themselves as a ‘death doula’ or a ‘death midwife’. These terms describe people (primarily women) who provide a wide range of social, emotional, practical, and spiritual supports for people nearing the end of life,… Continue reading