Sarah Franklin - Compassionate Care: Naturopathy’s Role in Palliative Care
In this podcast episode, we sit down with Sarah Franklin, a registered nurse and naturopath who specialises in oncology and palliative care. Sarah shares her insights on the essential role a naturopath can play in supporting patients through the challenging transition of palliative care. She discusses how naturopaths can collaborate with conventional care providers to enhance quality of life, addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Key topics include managing symptoms, optimizing nutrition, addressing anxiety, and supporting the patient and their family through the end-of-life journey. Sarah also explores factors to consider, such as the importance of personalized care, addressing comfort, and navigating ethical considerations in palliative care.
In this Episode:
2:21 – Welcome Sarah
2:47 – What is palliative care?
4:28 – What is the role of the naturopath in palliative care, what can we offer?
7:41 – Switching the treatment protocol from fixing the health condition to supporting through palliative care
9:13 – Working with the wider healthcare team and finding out what services are available in your area
14:01 – Working with the family
16:47 – Working with remote patients
19:44 – Dealing with grief as a practitioner
22:33 – Making peace with your own mortality
25:25 – Understanding different cultures and their beliefs and traditions around death
26:33 – How to support the family
29:44 – Grief counselling
31:56 – Legalities to be aware of and euthanasia
36:54 – Navigating cultural differences
39:57 – Asking the right questions from the start in relation to how the patient would like to be managed
42:03 – It is ok to have discussion around death and how a naturopath can help with palliative care
42:31 – Thinking outside the box in how to prescribe
45:17 – Thank you Sarah
Bio: Sarah is one of Australia’s leading Oncology Naturopathic practitioners. Sarah is a accomplished Naturopath, and distinguished Keynote speaker, with more than 23 years of experience in healthcare. In 2008, she founded Balanced Health, where she has supported over 8000 clients across Australia and Internationally.
Graduating from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia in 1999, Sarah initially specialized in oncology, palliative care, and emergency nursing. Her fascination with the potential of nutritional and naturopathic medicine in oncology care was ignited during her tenure as an oncology nurse. Witnessing patients benefit from integrative therapies sparked her profound interest in this field.
