Don't Be Caught Dead: Grief, Loss, Death Literacy and Getting Prepared
Real conversations about death, dying, grief, life, and everything in between.
Hosted by Catherine Ashton, founder of Australian social enterprise Critical Info, Don’t Be Caught Dead explores the conversations most of us avoid until we have no choice.
After surviving a serious car accident in 2019 and losing a close friend suddenly in 2023, Catherine discovered how difficult it can be to know what to do when life changes without warning.
Each episode brings honest, often deeply personal conversations with people who have experienced grief, sudden illness, caring and loss, alongside people with expertise and lived experience across aged care, palliative care, end-of-life care, estate planning, funeral planning, memorialisation, rituals, grief, bereavement and the many practical and deeply human decisions that arise when life changes.
It’s about being better prepared for the moments that can change everything.
You don’t have to know everything. You just need to know what to do next.
Don't Be Caught Dead: Grief, Loss, Death Literacy and Getting Prepared
Latest Episodes
The Paperwork That Can Spare a Family More Pain with Stephanie Wood
What happens when someone you love is dying—and how can a little preparation make an already difficult time less uncertain?In this episode, I’m joined by Stephanie Wood, an award-winning Australian long-form feature journalist who w...
What Happens to Your Body After You Die? The Law with Dr Kate Falconer
What if the wishes you express about your funeral and what happens to your body after death aren’t legally binding?In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Kate Falconer, a Senior Lecturer at the School of Law and Radical Humanities La...
Planning Ahead With Pride: LGBTQ+ Communities, Chosen Family and the End of Life with Zoe Hinton
What happens at the end of life when the systems we rely on don't recognise who we are, or who we love?In this episode, I'm joined by Zoe Hinton, ACON's Community Health Promotion Officer for End of Life and Palliative Care. Zoe works wi...
What Poison, Cemeteries and Ancient History Can Teach Us About Death with Rae
What can a cemetery teach us about the people who came before us — and what can the history of poison and medicine tell us about the way we understand death today?In this episode, I'm joined by Rae, who is completing a Master of Ancient ...
What Our Phones Know About Grief with Larissa Hjorth
What if the phone in your pocket is one of the most meaningful grief objects you own?In this episode, I'm joined by Distinguished Professor Larissa Hjorth, a digital ethnographer and socially engaged artist at RMIT University here in Mel...
Fan Mail
Hi Catherine! I’m really enjoying your podcast, just started listening and am learning so much from what you share. Fantastic episode with Kelly from AFDA, so many take aways and your interview style really kept things interesting. I'm a funeral celebrant based on the Mornington Peninsula and look forward to telling people both about the podcast and your business. Warm regards, Anne-Marie Raymond (Mornington Funeral Celebrant) 🌸
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