A Letter to the Daughter Caring for Her Parents // Dr. Natalie King

My guest today is Dr. Natalie King. She’s a palliative care physician. Many of us are in a season where we are caregivers - maybe to a grandparent, a parent, another family member. But others of us are in a season where we can see that role of caregiver on the horizon Maybe you're noticing your parents health starting to decline, or you're seeing them make medical decisions and invite you into that process.

But regardless of the season you find yourself today, for all of us, we either are caregivers, will be, or will receive care at some point in our life. This conversation on suffering, having hard conversations about hard decisions with those we love, and living out the feminine genius as a Catholic woman praying for a good death  is for each and every one of us.

So, if you want to think through caregiving issues and align those big decisions for yourself and loved ones with the Catholic faith in a way that safeguards the sacred dignity of human life, sister, this letter is for you.

• Dr. King’s story as a Catholic woman

• The origin story of Dr. King’s new book, Intensive Caring: A Practical Handbook for Catholics about Serious Illness and End-of-Life Care

• What suffering looks like as Catholics and why a Catholic understanding of suffering stands at odds against a secular culture

• What palliative care is and how it differs from hospice care

• Dr. King’s advice for successful conversations about death and dying with parents who are navigating serious illness and end-of-life care decisions

• How Catholics can advocate for themselves and their loved ones to ensure that they’re getting care that is respectful of their dignity

• What a good death is and how we can prepare for it

• How Dr. King lives out the feminine genius in her daily life as a daughter of God

• Pick up a copy of Dr. King’s new book, Intensive Caring: A Practical Handbook for Catholics about Serious Illness and End-of-Life Care

• Connect with Dr. King online

• Read an article talking about the benefits of palliative care support

• Example guide to help conversations with loved ones about health care from The Conversation Project

• Five Wishes

• Compilation of states with Catholic versions of advance directive forms (even if your state doesn’t have one, you can use other states as examples!)

• A beautiful Church document from Saint Pope John Paul II on teaching

• A Church document teaching on palliative care

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