The Journey Together

Practical Support from Social Welfare and Citizens Information

Help Navigating the System When Life Changes In this episode we are joined by Claire Walsh and Nora Durcan from the Department of Social Protection in Sligo, alongside Orla Barry from Citizens Information. Together they walk through the financial and practical supports available when illness, caring or bereavement reshapes a family's life; illness benefit, invalidity pension, disability allowance, carer's allowance, carer's benefit, the carer's support grant, domiciliary care allowance, supplementary welfare and the new bereaved partner's pension. They explain the fast-track process for terminal illness, how to appoint an agent, how to appeal a decision, and how the access officer service supports vulnerable customers. Their message is simple: these supports are a right, not a charity, and there are real people ready to help you take the first step. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. "Seeking support is not a charity. It's a right within the social importance of social assistance." "Always apply. People just assume they're not entitled to things… we won't know until you apply." "We're all human. We all have brothers, sisters, mummies. We've all been through it or will go through it or know somebody who has." Guests: Claire Walsh and Nora Durcan (Department of Social Protection, Sligo); Orla Barry (Citizens Information) Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Supported by: Citizens Information Centre Sligo This podcast is produced by Verver by ⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠ Referenced Links MyWelfare.ie · Citizens Information.ie · Gov.ie/DSP · MABS.ie

Easing the Money Worry: A Guide from MABS

Practical Financial Support When Life Changes Tomas Kelly is a dedicated mortgage arrears advisor with the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) in Sligo, supporting people and families through some of the most stressful financial moments of their lives. In this conversation he walks through the practical supports available when illness or caregiving changes a household's income ; from carer's allowance and the carer's support grant to mortgage payment breaks, charitable funds, wills, enduring power of attorney and the Think Ahead form. Tomas is clear that MABS is free, confidential and non-judgmental, and that the service is there long before anyone is in serious debt. He gently names the shame and embarrassment that keep people from asking, and reminds listeners that lenders, employers and the social welfare system are far more human than fear allows us to believe. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. "Nobody plans for ill health, nobody plans for loss of employment, nobody plans for family breakdowns. You don't plan for the unexpected." "We need to forget about the shame, we need to forget about the embarrassment… the best thing is if people can face things head on." "Always apply. People just assume they're not entitled to things. We won't know until you apply." Guest: Tomas Kelly, MABS Sligo Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Supported by: North West Hospice Charity — Light Up a Life Christmas event This podcast is produced by Verver by ⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠ Referenced Links MABS.ie · Citizens Information.ie · MyWelfare.ie · Think Ahead (Irish Hospice Foundation)

The Heart of the Hospice: Mary Forte's Story

Why She Has Never Stopped Talking About It When Mary Forte's husband Anthony was dying, a friend suggested a hospice bed, and Mary's first reaction was that hospice is where people go to die. Two days later she walked through the door of North West Hospice and was met with a cup of tea, a slice of toast, and ten months she now describes as the most positive experience of the hardest time in her family's life. Mary talks with Tara about Anthony's care, about the nurses who quietly minded the whole family while she thought they were only minding him, and about the hardest thing the hospice ever asked of them, which was to stop pretending and tell the children the truth. She went back years later as a healthcare assistant and now works as the charity's commercial manager, running the shop, the volunteers and the garden she once landscaped by hand. Warm, funny and entirely without varnish, this is the story of why she has never stopped talking about the place. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. "My friend is saying, get a bed in the hospice. And I'm like, are you off your head? That's where people go to die." "The hospice gave the children back their father and they gave me back my husband." "I always describe the hospice as the most positive experience in the most heartbreaking time of my life, and my children's life, and my husband's life." Guest: Mary Forte, Commercial Manager, North West Hospice Charity Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Supported by: North West Hospice Charity Shop This podcast is produced by Verver by ⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠ Referenced Links NorthWestHospice.ie · Hospice shop, Lower Quay Street, Sligo. Donations accepted at the side door, 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday · Furniture collection and delivery: 087 063 9659

More Than the End of the Road: A Consultant's Perspective

Palliative Care Is Not the End of the Story In this episode of The Journey Together, Tara Rafter is joined by Dr Anna Cleminson, Consultant in Palliative Care at North West Hospice, where she has spent more than a decade supporting individuals and families living with life-limiting illness. Anna grew up at a breakfast table where palliative care was already a conversation; her father trained under Dame Cicely Saunders in London, and that early exposure shaped a career built around listening first and treating second. She talks through what the consultant role really involves across community, hospital and inpatient settings, why palliative care is so often misunderstood as "the end of the road," and the small day-to-day moments that good care protects. Warm, candid and full of practical reassurance, this is a conversation that gently dismantles a lot of the fear that surrounds the word "palliative." Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. "You continue to contribute to the lives of those around you… one of the beauties of palliative care is that you can grow and develop and learn as individuals right up until the day that you die." "Ideally we're a silent companion, one that you don't see. We're there if you need us, and then we're not visible… so you can be you and dip your toe into that water when you need it." Guest: Dr Anna Cleminson, Consultant in Palliative Care, North West Hospice Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Supported by: Verver Creative Digital Media This podcast is produced by Verver by ⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

Living Longer, Living Better: A GP's Perspective

Why Palliative Care Isn't a White Flag Dr Conor Mitchell is a GP partner at Bayview Family Practice in Ballyshannon, GP lead for CHO Sligo South Donegal, and a long-time collaborator with North West Hospice. In this conversation he offers a warm, practical GP's-eye view of palliative care, dismantling the idea that it only belongs at the very end of life. Conor speaks about the dual carriageway of treatment and palliative approach running side by side, the importance of having your GP rather than just any GP, and the four domains of need; medical, psychological, social and spiritual, that a good palliative approach holds. With humour, humility and a deep respect for the families doing the daily work at home, he reminds listeners that palliative care is about living longer, living better, and living the way you want. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. "It's not a white flag. We're on a dual carriageway. On one lane there's palliative care, and on the other there's the treatment you're going through." "The hardest journey is from the waiting room to the consultation room. Once you go in there to start this journey, every little bit becomes easier." Guest: Dr Conor Mitchell, GP Partner, Bayview Family Practice, Ballyshannon Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Supported by: Sligo Cancer Support Centre This podcast is produced by Verver by ⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

At Home With Care: A Public Health Nurse's View

Supporting People to Stay Where They Feel Themselves Regina Henry is a public health nurse who has spent her career in community care, walking alongside people from newborns through to end of life. In this conversation she speaks about the quiet, layered work of supporting someone to stay in their own home — coordinating the team, noticing the small losses, easing the load on family carers, and respecting that the patient must always be at the centre. Regina describes the public health nurse as a bridge, holding the pieces together between GP, hospice team, occupational therapist and family. Her message is simple: reach out earlier than you think you should, lean on the team, and remember that families are doing far more than they give themselves credit for. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. "It's not about letting things get bad enough or letting somebody get sicker or weaker. It's about asking for help sooner." "We don't expect them to be experts. They're somebody's son, they're somebody's daughter. They may never have signed up to be a carer." "Their own bed, their own chair beside the range. That's where we all want to be." Guest: Regina Henry, Public Health Nurse Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Supported by: MABS : Money Advice and Budgeting Service This podcast is produced by Verver by ⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

Living Well, Day by Day: An OT's Perspective

Dignity, Independence and Everyday Living Aoiffe McCarroll is a senior occupational therapist with over twenty years of experience across oncology, haematology and palliative care, now dedicated full-time to the inpatient unit at North West Hospice. In this conversation she dismantles the idea that OT is only about discharge planning or equipment lists. Aoiffe speaks about meeting people in the ordinary moments of a day — getting dressed, having a cup of tea, planting a window box, attending a granddaughter's confirmation — and finding the practical, creative adaptations that let someone stay themselves. Through stories of a confirmation outing, a non-slip mat at lunchtime and a father playing football with his son in a new way, she shows how OT protects dignity, identity and meaning right through a palliative journey. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. "What's important to me in a day could be very different to what's important to you, and what's important on a Monday might be very different to a Friday evening." "We're meeting people at their most vulnerable, and it always makes me think it's the small things that matter." "By adding in those three little changes — a non-slip mat, a plate with a lip, a wider-handle fork — this gentleman remained independent with feeding." Guest: Aoiffe McCarroll, Senior Occupational Therapist, North West Hospice Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Supported by: Riverside Hotel Sligo This podcast is produced by Verver by ⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

Small Movements, Big Meaning

Rehabilitation, Independence and Everyday Joy Lynn O'Connor is a chartered physiotherapist with 25 years of clinical experience, now working full-time in palliative care at North West Hospice. In this conversation, she pulls apart the misconception that physiotherapy is only about sports injuries and recovery to full function. Lynn explains how physio in a palliative setting is really about meeting people where they are, breaking the things they love into bite-sized pieces, and giving people permission to keep doing what matters — from weeding a metre of garden to wiggling your toes during the ad breaks. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. "There can be little losses every day… but rehabilitation can make the absolute most of the abilities you do have." "Exercise isn't complicated. It's just about moving your bits. Any bits that you have, move them." Guest: Lynn O'Connor, Chartered Physiotherapist, North West Hospice Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Supported by: North West Hospice Charity Shop This podcast is produced by Verver by ⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

Season 2 Trailer: It's Not What You Think

Meet the people who support you and your family, one part of the team at a time. The Journey Together Podcast Returns September 7th 2026

The Heart of Hospice: Stories with Volunteers

Everyday People Making a Difference In this episode of The Journey Together: Navigating Palliative Care, we shine a light on the vital role of volunteers at North West Hospice Charity. From reflexology to retail, reception to remembrance, you’ll hear heartfelt stories from the people who give their time to support patients and families. Whether you're considering volunteering or simply curious about what it entails, this episode is a moving tribute to compassion in action. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. “People think we’re doing something for others, but we’re getting so much in return. It’s a privilege to be there, to hear people’s stories, to be part of something that matters.” “It’s hard to put into words. You leave feeling like you made a difference, even in a small way. It’s incredibly special. That’s why we keep coming back.” “It might just be making a cup of tea, but it’s everything. One man said to me, ‘You reminded me I wasn’t invisible.’ That really stayed with me.” Guests: Cathy Quinlan, Angela Read, Kevin Glancy, Kathleen McLoughlin Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis This podcast is produced by ⁠⁠Verver⁠⁠ by ⁠⁠⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

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Understanding Funerals: What to Expect

David McGowan Explains the Process and Options In this episode, renowned funeral director David McGowan talks honestly and compassionately about what happens after someone dies. With decades of experience, David shares what families can expect — from the first phone call to funeral arrangements, burial versus. cremation, and the healing power of ritual. Together, they explore: What really happens when someone passes, at home, in hospital or hospice The emotional and practical decisions involved in arranging a funeral Cremation vs. burial: costs, options, and myths The spiritual connection between nature and grief How planning ahead can bring peace to both the living and the dying This episode offers reassurance, practical guidance, and soul-soothing reflection — for anyone navigating loss, supporting a loved one, or preparing for the future. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. “It’s not just about a black suit and a black tie—it’s about honouring a life.” “One of the things that can turn a one-hour meeting into three is when no one knows what the person would have wanted…That’s when the fighting starts. I’ve seen families fall out forever…But if the person just mentioned a few wishes… it would have saved all that.” Guest: David McGowan *Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach*⁠ Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Episode Sponsor: ⁠ McCanny & Co Solicitors This podcast is produced by ⁠⁠Verver⁠⁠ by ⁠⁠⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

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Social Work Insights on Coping with Loss

What Grief Feels Like—and How to Cope Grief is universal—but how we experience it is deeply personal. In this episode, hospice social workers Kate and Michelle share honest, compassionate insight into what grief really looks like. They speak about the wide range of emotions and physical symptoms that can follow a loss, the ways grief evolves over time, and how we can support ourselves and others through it. From navigating anniversaries to coping with isolation, this conversation reminds us that there is no right way to grieve—and no shame in needing support. Whether you're walking through grief yourself or want to understand it better, this episode offers gentle guidance and heartfelt wisdom. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. “Sometimes we meet people who are grieving and we only get a snapshot of how they are… they say, ‘I’m fine’—but it can be covering a multitude… And even in one family, everyone will grieve differently. Because your relationship was different. Your love was different. Your loss is your own.” “There’s no ‘moving on’ from grief… but your life can expand around it. You learn to carry it… it becomes part of you—but it doesn’t have to stop you from living.” Guests: Michelle O’Reilly & Kate Hawney Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Episode Sponsor: ⁠ The Navigation Coach⁠ This podcast is produced by ⁠⁠Verver⁠⁠ by ⁠⁠⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

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Planning Ahead: Wills, Probate, and Peace of Mind

Practical Legal Guidance with Jacqueline Dunne What do you need to know about making a will, choosing an executor, or documenting your funeral wishes? In this episode, solicitor Jacqueline Dunne shares expert advice on legal planning at end of life—from enduring power of attorney to probate, and how to avoid some of the most common (and costly) mistakes. Packed with real-life stories and practical takeaways, this episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to plan clearly and kindly for the future. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. “She keeps saying, ‘You know what I want to do.’ But it doesn’t matter how many times she says it while she’s alive. Once she dies, if there’s no will, there’s no record… everything gets divided equally. It doesn’t matter legally.” “It’s peace of mind… the will gives you that. . . Nobody leaves my office after doing a will sad or depressed. They’re always smiling. Their shoulders have dropped down… there’s just that peace of mind.” Guest: Jacqueline Dunne Host: Tara Rafter, ⁠The Navigation Coach⁠ Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Episode Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Neptune Financial⁠ This podcast is produced by ⁠⁠⁠Verver⁠⁠⁠ by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

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Supporting Loved Ones at Life’s End

Breda Roche on Hospice Care and Family Experience What does it mean to truly support someone through the end of life? In this heartfelt conversation, Breda Roche shares her experiences of caring for her mother, husband, sister, and aunt—all of whom received hospice support. From fears around pain medication to choosing to die at home, Breda offers honest, practical insights that will resonate with anyone walking a similar path. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. “It wasn’t just for my mother. It was for me—the confidence that I could go and ask any questions: ‘What do I do? What do I say?’…” “I’ve no fear of dying… it’s just part of life. We’re all going to face it. . . But I’ve seen what it looks like—to do it well. To have people around you… who care, who know what they’re doing, who listen to what you want. You’re allowed to live life to the fullest… and you’re allowed to die.” “Choice is really the best word, I would say… the choice to do what you want to do.” Guest: Breda Roche *Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach*⁠ Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Episode Sponsor: ⁠ Sligo Cancer Support Centre This podcast is produced by ⁠⁠Verver⁠⁠ by ⁠⁠⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

Beyond Resilience

Finding Hope and Strength Through Life’s Challenges What does it really mean to be resilient — and how do we find hope in the face of grief, loss, or serious illness? We welcome Dr. Brian Pennie—a neuroscientist, resilience specialist, and author of Bonus Time. He **joins us to explore emotional awareness, personal transformation, and the power of radical acceptance. Drawing from his own lived experience and academic research, Brian offers insights and encouragement for anyone navigating difficult life transitions. We talk about how grief affects the body and mind, what real emotional awareness looks like in crisis, how caregivers can protect their own wellbeing, and why acceptance—not resistance—is the foundation of peace. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. “ Imagine that you have a beautiful garden. You love your garden… but then a weed grows. A loved one gets sick, passes away. You try to fight that weed, pull it up—but it just keeps growing. The more you resist it, the stronger it gets. So what do you do? You accept the weed is there… and still enjoy the rest of your garden. That’s resilience. Being there for your life. Watering your other flowers. It’s not about fixing the loss—it’s about living with it.” Guest: Dr. Brian Pennie *Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach*⁠ Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Episode Sponsor: ⁠ Verver Visual Ltd This podcast is produced by ⁠⁠Verver⁠⁠ by ⁠⁠⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

Walking Beside You: Spiritual Care with Chaplains

Inclusive Support Through Life’s Final Journey Host Tara Rafter speaks with two spiritual care chaplains at North West Hospice Charity — Father John Carroll and Colette Furlong— about the deeply human role of spiritual support in palliative care. Through stories of presence, ritual, and connection, they explore how chaplaincy offers comfort and meaning to patients and families, regardless of faith. It’s a moving conversation about listening, compassion, and being alongside others in life’s most vulnerable moments. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. “Spiritual care isn’t always religious. It’s about meaning, connection, being heard.” “I never assume I know what someone needs. I just show up. I say, ‘I’m here with you… wherever you are today." “That’s the difference. Not to guide. Just to walk beside.” “It’s not for me to have the answers. It’s to journey with them… just to be there while they find their own.” Guests: Father John Carroll and Colette Furlong Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach*⁠ Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Episode Sponsor: ⁠ McGowans Crematorium and FUneral Home This podcast is produced by ⁠⁠Verver⁠⁠ by ⁠⁠⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

Finding Connection in Life and Loss

Tara Rafter’s Tools and Insights for the Palliative Journey In this special episode, our usual host Tara Rafter becomes the guest, joined by North West Hospice Charity Manager Olive McTague. Tara, an award-winning life coach and master NLP practitioner, shares practical tools, personal experiences, and emotional insights for navigating uncertainty, grief, and the palliative care journey. With gentle humour and grounded wisdom, Tara speaks about coping with difficult diagnoses, the role of presence, the power of micro-moments, and how small rituals can help us stay connected — to ourselves and those we love. Whether you’re supporting someone, grieving, or preparing for difficult conversations, this episode offers meaningful support and compassionate guidance. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. “Your legacy doesn’t have to be huge. It can be in the tiniest little things. Sometimes the legacy is the sound of somebody’s laughter… the smell of someone’s aftershave. There are things that linger with us from the humans we were lucky enough to meet—that we’ll never forget.” “People often said, ‘You’re so strong’—but I didn’t feel strong. I felt like a big helpless mess. And what I’ve learned is that strength isn’t holding it all together—it’s actually allowing yourself to fall apart… and still show up.” Guest: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach Host: Olive McTague Episode Sponsor: ⁠Brian Pennie⁠ Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis This podcast is produced by ⁠⁠Verver⁠⁠ by ⁠⁠⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

Love, Loss and Hospice

Navigating Life’s Hardest Journey as a Family When her husband Owen was diagnosed with cancer, Susan Atkinson found herself navigating one of life’s hardest journeys with strength and heart. In this episode, Susan shares how palliative care — and the support of North West Hospice Charity — helped her family through love, loss, and everything in between. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. “I was terrified. I didn’t want to talk to anyone from the hospice because I thought that was it—that it was the end… But I wish I’d let them in sooner. …When they came, it wasn’t scary. It wasn’t dramatic. It was calm. And helpful. And kind. They made things easier—not harder. …If I was talking to anyone now, I’d say: talk to the hospice. Don’t be afraid. Just reach out. It’s not about giving up. It’s about getting help to do it well.” “That weekend was the same, even though you knew it was really coming to the end… it was a great weekend. It was like a live wake… he was there with the lads, having the craic… and not everyone gets that opportunity.” Guest: Susan Atkinson Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Episode Sponsor: ⁠ The Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care This podcast is produced by ⁠⁠Verver⁠⁠ by ⁠⁠⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

Managing Finances in Difficult Times

Practical Guidance on Support and Planning Planning for illness or death is never easy—but financial stress doesn’t have to make it harder. In this episode, Tara speaks with a seasoned financial advisor Colm O’Flaherty of Neptune Financial about the supports, grants and practical steps that can help families navigate costs around serious illness, lost income, and bereavement. Whether for you, caring for someone, or just want to be prepared, this conversation is packed with accessible, helpful advice. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. “Money is safety. It helps us to feel safe—consciously and unconsciously” “I’ve sat in both chairs—the one where there was life insurance, and the one where there wasn’t. It doesn’t bring the person back… but it helps. “Those pillars that we talk about — physical well-being, psychological and emotional — the backbone of all of this is your financial well-being. If that’s not there, the pillars fall.” Planning ahead isn’t about money—it’s about kindness.” Referenced Links My Welfare.ie Gov.ie Citizens Information.ie HSE.ie Guest: Colm O’Flaherty, Neptune Financial Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Episode Sponsor: North West Hospice Charity Shop⁠ This podcast is produced by ⁠⁠Verver⁠⁠ by ⁠⁠⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠

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Walking With You: Hospice Social Work

Guiding Families Through Illness, Grief, and Care In this episode of The Journey Together, we’re joined by hospice social workers Kate and Aoife to explore their vital role in supporting patients and families—from first referral through bereavement. With warmth and honesty, they share how they help navigate tough conversations, emotional overwhelm, and what it means to be truly seen in palliative care. From the first referral to final goodbyes, Kate and Aoife explain how they support patients and families emotionally & practically. Topics include myth-busting around palliative care, supporting carers, working with children, navigating complex grief, and finding peace even in the hardest moments. This episode honours the invisible threads that bind us in illness and in love. Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠. Hear expert advice, personal stories, and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care. “A referral to social work doesn’t mean there’s something wrong. It means you don’t have to go through this alone.” “There is no right way. Just your way—and we’re here to walk with you.” “Sometimes, it’s about making a will. Sometimes, it’s about their dog. Either way—it matters.” Guests: Kate Hawney & Aoife Molloy Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach Show music: #mobygratis @mobygratis Episode Sponsor: ⁠ Stephen Mullen and Sons Haulage and Distribution This podcast is produced by Verver by ⁠⁠North West Hospice Charity⁠⁠