Don't Be Caught Dead
Don't Be Caught Dead is a podcast about the conversations most of us avoid — until we’re forced to have them.
Each episode brings you honest, accessible conversations with experts across end-of-life, health, legal, financial, and care industries, alongside people with lived experience, to help you better understand your end-of-life choices and how to prepare a practical backup plan if you fall ill, become incapacitated, or die.
Hosted by Catherine Ashton, award-winning speaker and founder of Critical Info, the podcast is grounded in lived experience — created so other people don’t have to go through what her family went through.
From wills, powers of attorney, funerals, and estate administration, to caring, grief, sudden illness, and navigating systems when life doesn’t go to plan, Don’t Be Caught Dead exists to build confidence, clarity, and preparedness — before a crisis hits.
Episodes
104 episodes
ENCORE: Death, Grief and Ritual: Lessons from an Interfaith Minister
In this episode of Don’t Be Caught Dead, I sit down with Reverend Amy Firth — interfaith minister, funeral director, and spiritual counsellor — to talk about her incredible journey through grief, loss, and finding her calling in end-of-life car...
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Season 2
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Episode 86
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1:09:10
ENCORE: Meaning Over Ministry: Jim's Unique Approach to Grief and Funerals
What do you give the love of your life as a final birthday gift when they only have days left? That's the tender moment Reverend Jim Colville shares with us in this powerful chat. It's an act of love that perfectly sums up Jim's radical, non-ju...
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Season 2
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54:59
ENCORE: Found Family: The Importance of Compassion in Grief
In this episode, I have the absolute pleasure of chatting with Dr. Annetta Mallon, a leading expert in grief loss education and end-of-life care. With over three decades of experience as a psychotherapist, Annetta dives deep into the complexiti...
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Season 2
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Episode 71
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58:34
ENCORE: Facing Death: Moira Kelly's Mission to Save Lives
What does it mean to TRULY save a life? For humanitarian Moira Kelly, the answer was simple—give a part of herself.In this episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, we dive deep into the extraordinary life of Moira Kelly, a remarkable humanitaria...
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Season 2
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Episode 68
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1:00:16
ENCORE: Time’s Up: Facing Death and Finding Your Life List
Are you making the most of your time before death catches us all? In this heartfelt episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I chat with Kate Christie, Australia’s leading time management expert, about how loss and grief can be the wake-up call we need...
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Season 2
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Episode 77
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44:24
ENCORE: Embracing Grief: The Art of Memorialisation with Chloe Marcela Coelho
What if the objects we hold dear could help us navigate the complex journey of grief? In this episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I sit down with Chloe Marcela Coelho, a passionate death scholar and creative practitioner who dives deep into the in...
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Season 2
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Episode 50
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54:21
ENCORE: Who’s Really at Risk? Understanding Elder Abuse
Have you ever thought about who might be the biggest threat to the elderly in our lives? It’s not just the faceless strangers in nursing homes; it’s often their own family members. In this eye-opening episode of Don't Be Caught Dead...
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Season 2
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Episode 67
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1:18:29
ENCORE: Living Well to Die Well: A Philosophical Perspective
This is an encore episode of the Don't Be Caught Dead podcast and a listener favourite from Season 2.In this thought-provoking episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I sit down with Dr. Simon Longstaff, a philosopher and the first executive di...
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Season 2
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Episode 65
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59:11
ENCORE: This Is What Dignity Looks Like: A Daughter’s Story in Support of Voluntary Assisted Dying
This is an encore episode of the Don't Be Caught Dead podcast and a listener favourite from Season 2.In this heartfelt episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I sit down with Barb Gering, who shares her deeply personal journey as she navigated ...
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Season 2
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Episode 58
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57:08
ENCORE: Grief Without Permission: Rosie Batty on Challenging Silence and Speaking Truth
This is an encore episode of the Don't Be Caught Dead podcast and a listener favourite from Season 2.In this powerful episode, I sit down with the incredible Rosie Batty, a fierce advocate for family violence prevention and a beacon of r...
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Season 2
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Episode 55
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1:05:58
No More Death Denial: Alicia Ng's Story of Turning Fear into End-of-Life Wisdom
Ever wondered how staring down your deepest fear of death could actually make you live bolder and more intentionally? That's exactly what today's guest, Alicia Ng, discovered on her wild journey from corporate life in Singapore to end-of-life p...
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46:05
When There's No Funeral: Honouring Babies Lost Before 20 Weeks with Melissa King
When Melissa King lost her baby in 2011, she discovered an unexpected silence. No information, no pathway to support, and very few people willing to talk openly about miscarriage. Out of that heartbreak, she founded Miscarriage Information ...
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57:21
Beyond the Grave: Fighting Heteronormativity in Funerals and Weddings
Imagine a gay man planning his own funeral, only for his family to swoop in and rewrite everything. That’s what one of Bronte Price’s clients faced, and he had to fight to honour his wishes.In this episode I chat with Bronte Price, “you...
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1:06:30
Facing Death Head-On: A Doula's Guide to End-of-Life Care
Ever wondered what really happens in those final moments before someone dies, or how a death doula can turn a family's grief into something meaningful? In this episode, I chat with Barb Ferguson, a seasoned end-of-life doula, about her hands-on...
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53:48
Meaning Over Ministry: Jim's Unique Approach to Grief and Funerals
What do you give the love of your life as a final birthday gift when they only have days left? That's the tender moment Reverend Jim Colville shares with us in this powerful chat. It's an act of love that perfectly sums up Jim's radical, non-ju...
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54:59
The Fabric of Dying: How a Stitched Map Sparks End-of-Life Talks
Ever wondered if a simple box of fabric and words could unlock the toughest chats about dying? In this episode, I dive into the world of the Bioscope with Chetan Shastri, a Melbourne designer who's turned death into a navigable map – literally....
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58:36
Building Resilience: How Architecture and Landscape Can Assist With the Process of Grieving
Ever wondered how architecture and landscape can turn contested land into a living tribute to lives lost and those affected by family violence? In this episode, I chat with Amy Muir, director of Muir Architecture, about designing Victoria's Fam...
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54:07
Facing the Unfathomable – Grief, Suicide, and Living Fully After Loss
Ever wondered what it’s like to face death – not your own, but the sudden loss of a child to suicide? In this raw and moving chat, I sit down with Christine Pedley, a grief counsellor, death doula, and author who turned unimaginable pain...
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1:11:11
TIME'S UP: Facing Death and Finding Your LIFE LIST
Are you making the most of your time before death catches us all? In this heartfelt episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I chat with Kate Christie, Australia’s leading time management expert, about how loss and grief can be the wake-up call we need...
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44:24
Advance Care Planning: The Gift of CHOICE Before Death
Are you ready to face death head-on? In this episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I chat with Rose Sexton, a seasoned nurse and passionate palliative care educator from Wangaratta, Northeast Victoria. Rose shares her deep insights into palliative c...
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1:03:24
Death, Grief and Ritual: Lessons from an Interfaith Minister
What does it mean to “do death differently”?In this episode of Don’t Be Caught Dead, I sit down with Reverend Amy Firth — interfaith minister, funeral director, and spiritual counsellor — to talk about her incredible journey thr...
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1:08:47
Voluntary Assisted Dying: The Doctors Who See Death Differently
What does it really look like to face death with choice, dignity and clarity? In this episode of Don’t Be Caught Dead, I sit down with two doctors who’ve seen death from every angle — and who aren’t afraid to talk about it.I’m j...
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54:02
How My Sister’s Death at Four Shaped My Life
What happens when death touches your family before you even understand what it means?In this episode of Don’t Be Caught Dead, I sit down with funeral celebrant Leonie Fletcher Adams, whose life was profoundly shaped when her sis...
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1:20:39
VAD: Choice, Compassion, and the End of Life.
We all know death is coming for us, yet most of us avoid talking about it like it’s the plague. In this episode, I sit down with Baci Hillyer for an honest, heartfelt conversation about why facing our mortality head-on, including the controvers...
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1:09:09
FOUND Family: The Importance of Compassion in Grief
What if I told you that talking about death could be one of the most empowering conversations you ever have? In this episode of Don't Be Caught Dead, I sit down with Dr. Annetta Mallon, a leading expert in grief loss education and end-of-life c...
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58:34