How to Manage Death Anxiety With Social Worker Rosie Gaston artwork
The Heart of Hospice Podcast

How to Manage Death Anxiety With Social Worker Rosie Gaston

  • S7E35
  • 57:12
  • March 27th 2026

Most of us carry some fear of death, even if we rarely say it out loud. In this episode, we talk honestly with hospice Social Worker Rosie Gaston about death anxiety—what it feels like, where it comes from, and how to have conversations that reduce it. Death is a universal human experience that carries mystery, fear, and a lot of anxiety. In western culture, conversations about death don’t happen as early and often as they should to really be beneficial.  

End of life and hospice workers deal with death and dying every day; it’s normal daily activity. Emotional boundaries help workers to sustain the work long term. For others, fear of death is common. It takes so many forms - fear of losing a loved one to death, anxiety over finances or legacy, fear of dying too early. Death anxiety takes many forms. Rosie describes the questions that she asks to start discussions that can reduce that fear. Great guidance from an experienced hospice social worker! 

Connect with Hospice Social Worker Rosie Gaston:  Website https://www.abetterending.org/

Find resources for end of life care from Minnesota Network of Hospice and Palliative Care at mnhpc.com

Connect with Lasting Remembrance to purchase a memorial blanket at lastingremembrance.com. A personalized blanket is a great way to ease grief, bringing warmth, peace and connection after a loss. Using the code heartofhospice gives you a 10% discount on your blanket purchase. 

Connect with 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

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. It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care. A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for 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.comConnect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website: theheartofhospice.com Social media: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube

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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.