For 20 years, I have been advocating for the vulnerable and dying. For ten years, I trained and mediated elder disputes at the LA County Department of Consumer Affairs. I helped elders with family issues, including financial abuse and end-of-life care. In 2012, I earned an Executive Juris Doctor (EJD) from Concord Law School, a division of Purdue Global, majoring in Health Law. My internship was in Pediatric Hospice, where I spent a year attending Interdisciplinary Team Meetings and writing about my experiences.
For many years, I have been a hospice volunteer sitting at the bedside of many dying patients. In addition to supporting their families, I help tie up their final loose ends so they can pass in peace. I have been a Thanatologist since 2015. I am certified as an expert in caring for the dying and bereaved and teaching others about the dying process. I have clinical bioethics training and sat on two hospital bioethics committees.
In 2020, I became a Board-Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) and started Ending Well Patient Advocacy, LLC. I weaved my past experiences into a business that specializes in giving people a voice in planning the last chapter of their life. I earned Facilitator certificates through Respecting Choices® and now offer community classes and presentations on advance care planning and surrogacy.
In January 2021, I became the Surrogate Consultant for the Final Exit Network (FEN). My role is to help FEN members and their partners who act as surrogates or healthcare proxies enforce and honor the patient’s Advance Directives.
