A Palliative Doctor's Personal Story of Her Father's Death artwork
The Heart of Hospice Podcast

A Palliative Doctor's Personal Story of Her Father's Death

  • S10E27
  • 46:44
  • January 30th 2026

Trigger Warning:  The content of this episode includes narratives about suicide.  If you need to, catch up with us on another episode and take time to care for yourself.

Dr. Delia Chiaramonte shares the story of her father’s suicide in this deeply emotional and personal episode.  She wanted the best end of life experience for her father.  Because his renal failure was at the end stage, he had a terminal prognosis.  As a palliative care physician, Dr. Chiaramonte made sure she and her dad had the important conversations about end of life.  She describes the complicated and disenfranchised grief she’s feeling.  Delia’s experience is one that many grievers can relate to.  There’s so much to learn from her story. 

Connect with Integrative Palliative Physician Dr. Delia Chiaramonte: The Integrative Palliative Institute More information about Dr. Chiaramonte’s Courageous Caregiver program is available at www.CaregivingIsHard.com. Listen to the Integrative Palliative Podcast here. Buy your copy of Dr. Chiaramonte’s book Coping Courageously: A Heart-Centered Guide for Navigating a Loved One’s Illness Without Losing Yourself

Download Dr. Chiaramonte’s free resources here Social media for Dr. Chiaramonte: LinkedIn  Facebook  TikTok  YouTube

If you have experienced a loss by suicide, we hope you find support. Here are some resources that might help. Alliance of Hospice Suicide Awareness Voices of Education

Find all of Barbara Karnes’ products and resources at bkbooks.com. Read Barbara’s blog at bkbooks.com. Socials for Barbara Karnes: Facebook   IG   LinkedIn   Twitter (X)    YouTube

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible.  And we believe you deserve to get good hospice care.  If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help.  Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a 30-Minute Session for $49 or an in-depth 60-Minute Session for $95.  If you're gathering information about starting end of life care, or troubleshooting the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions. A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer

Website:  theheartofhospice.com Social media:  Facebook     Twitter    Instagram   LinkedIn Email:  [email protected] More podcast episodes:  The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Podcast host Helen Bauer is a great addition to your event or conference! For speaking inquiries, send an email to [email protected].

The Heart of Hospice Podcast

The Heart of Hospice podcast is dedicated to helping personal and professional caregivers who are caring for someone with serious illness. We're here to provide information and education so people can make informed choices about end of life care.