Don't Be Caught Dead: Grief, Loss, Death Literacy and Getting Prepared copertina

Don't Be Caught Dead: Grief, Loss, Death Literacy and Getting Prepared

Don't Be Caught Dead: Grief, Loss, Death Literacy and Getting Prepared

Di: Hosted by Catherine Ashton founder of Australian social enterprise Critical Info. Learn more: www.criticalinfo.com.au
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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.

© 2026 Don't Be Caught Dead: Grief, Loss, Death Literacy and Getting Prepared Igiene e vita sana Psicologia Psicologia e salute mentale Relazioni Scienze sociali
Episodi
  • Something to Hold Onto: Turning Ashes into Art with Keri East

    Something to Hold Onto: Turning Ashes into Art with Keri East
    Nov 4 2026
    What do you do with a loved one’s ashes when scattering them doesn’t feel like quite enough?In this episode, I’m joined by Keri East, founder of Ashes2Art, an Australian memorial art service that transforms a loved one’s cremation ashes into a bespoke piece of art. Working from her home studios on the Bellarine, Keri creates resin beach memorials, trees of life, jewellery and other keepsakes for families in Australia and overseas.Keri shares how it all began. When her great uncle Brian died, he wanted his ashes scattered at his beach. Keri honoured that wish, but she also wanted to keep a little bit of him. During COVID she taught herself to make resin beach memorials in a grow tent on her deck, and practised for six months before she felt ready to make his. One of her daughter’s carers then asked Keri to make one for her mum, and word spread from there.We talk about what happens when a family gets in touch, from posting or dropping off the ashes to choosing from 160 resin colours, and why Keri plays the person’s favourite music while she lays their ashes into the memorial. She describes the colours she now sees in ashes under a magnifying glass, including pinks, turquoise and opal, and the experiences in her studio she can’t explain.Keri also reflects on how ten years as a road accident rescue volunteer, growing up in a nursing family and caring for her daughter, who has a rare disability, have shaped the way she thinks about death. She shares her own beliefs about what happens after we die.The conversation closes on why these pieces matter to families. People tell Keri they say good morning to their loved one, have a coffee with them and include them at Christmas. As Keri explains, we keep talking to the people who have died whether we have a piece of art or not. A memorial simply gives us a point of reference.Remember: You may not be ready to die, but at least you can be prepared.Take care,CatherineWe'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-)MY LOVED ONE HAS DIED, WHAT DO I DO NOW?Our guide, ‘My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?’ provides practical steps for the hours and days after a loved one's death. Download it here.SUPPORT SERVICESIf you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, find support through our resources and bereavement services here. The free 3-minute Critical Info Check helps you see what you’ve already got covered — and what your next step could be.Three minutes. One next step.Go to gettingstarted.criticalinfo.com.au Every Tuesday at 7pm, I host Critical Chat Tuesdays — free, online conversations where you can ask questions or just listen.No pressure. No expectation.Because this isn’t about planning for “someday” — it’s about being ready for whatever life throws your way.Join anytime at criticalinfo.com.au/eventsSmells Like HumansLike listening to funny friends discuss curious human behavior.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showYOUR NEXT STEPTake the free 3-minute Critical Info Check to see what you’ve already got covered — and what your next step could be.https://gettingstarted.criticalinfo.com.au/NEED SUPPORT?The Critical Info Resource Hub connects you with organisations and services offering grief, bereavement and other practical support.https://criticalinfo.com.au/support/KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOINGJoin Critical Chat Tuesday, a free online conversation every Tuesday at 7pm Melbourne time.Find out more:https://criticalinfo.com.au/eventsIF SOMEONE HAS DIEDIf someone you love has died, our After-Death Guide — My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now? — provides practical guidance to help you navigate what needs to happen next.https://criticalinfo.com.au/product/my-loved-one-has-died/LEARN MOREhttps://criticalinfo.com.au/For resources mentioned in this episode, check the links and information provided in the episode description.
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    54 min
  • The Paperwork That Can Spare a Family More Pain with Stephanie Wood

    The Paperwork That Can Spare a Family More Pain with Stephanie Wood
    Oct 28 2026

    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 writes for The Good Weekend, The Guardian and Vogue. Stephanie is the author of Fake: A Startling True Story of Love in a World of Liars, Cheats, Narcissists, Fantasists, and Phonies, which was adapted into a Paramount+ drama series. She also writes Vamp, a weekly Substack newsletter exploring midlife, resilience, meaning-making and ageism.

    Stephanie shares the story of her father’s final days after years of illness, and the experience of supporting him through palliative care. Her father had an advance care directive that set out his wishes, including that he did not want further treatment. Stephanie reflects on how having those wishes documented meant the family could focus on whether he was comfortable, rather than having to work out what he would have wanted.

    We talk about the emotional reality of being beside someone who is dying, the importance of compassionate and patient palliative care, and how family disagreements can add another layer of distress. Stephanie also opens up about the years she spent clearing the family home after her father died—and the memories, stories and complicated feelings attached to the things we inherit.

    The conversation also turns to who will support us as we age. Stephanie explains why she is considering engaging a death doula if she becomes unwell, challenging the assumption that having children guarantees someone will be there to advocate for us. Together, we explore why planning ahead is about more than paperwork: it’s about making our wishes known and reducing uncertainty for the people who may one day speak on our behalf.


    Remember: You may not be ready to die, but at least you can be prepared.

    Take care,

    Catherine



    We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-)

    MY LOVED ONE HAS DIED, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

    Our guide, ‘My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?’ provides practical steps for the hours and days after a loved one's death. Download it here.

    SUPPORT SERVICES
    If you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, find support through our resources and bereavement services here.

    The free 3-minute Critical Info Check helps you see what you’ve already got covered — and what your next step could be.

    Three minutes. One next step.

    Go to gettingstarted.criticalinfo.com.au

    Every Tuesday at 7pm, I host Critical Chat Tuesdays —
    free, online conversations where you can ask questions or just listen.

    No pressure.
    No expectation.

    Because this isn’t about planning for “someday” —
    it’s about being ready for whatever life throws your way.

    Join anytime at criticalinfo.com.au/events

    Support the show

    YOUR NEXT STEP

    Take the free 3-minute Critical Info Check to see what you’ve already got covered — and what your next step could be.

    https://gettingstarted.criticalinfo.com.au/

    NEED SUPPORT?

    The Critical Info Resource Hub connects you with organisations and services offering grief, bereavement and other practical support.

    https://criticalinfo.com.au/support/

    KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING

    Join Critical Chat Tuesday, a free online conversation every Tuesday at 7pm Melbourne time.

    Find out more:

    https://criticalinfo.com.au/events

    IF SOMEONE HAS DIED

    If someone you love has died, our After-Death Guide — My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now? — provides practical guidance to help you navigate what needs to happen next.

    https://criticalinfo.com.au/product/my-loved-one-has-died/

    LEARN MORE

    https://criticalinfo.com.au/

    For resources mentioned in this episode, check the links and information provided in the episode description.
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    48 min
  • What Happens to Your Body After You Die? The Law with Dr Kate Falconer

    What Happens to Your Body After You Die? The Law with Dr Kate Falconer
    Oct 21 2026
    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 Laboratory at University College Cork, where she teaches Trusts Law, Property Law and Death Law. Kate’s research explores the law of the dead, bodily disposal, and the way death intersects with private law — from funeral disputes to emerging technologies such as digital avatars. She is co-editor of Life and Death in Private Law and Treasurer and co-founder of the Australian Death Studies Society.We begin with a remarkable Australian legal case from 1908: a preserved stillborn child displayed in a jar at a Sydney ‘freak show’, and the court’s decision about whether human remains could be treated as property. Kate explains the common-law “no property in a corpse” rule, the work-or-skill exception that emerged from Doodeward and Spence, and the separate possessory rights that can allow someone to take responsibility for a body for the purpose of burial or other final care.From there, we explore why funeral disputes can become so emotionally charged, including cases involving cultural obligations, kinship and the return of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ancestors to Country. Kate describes how courts have become more willing to consider family wishes, cultural and religious factors, and practical circumstances — while explaining why the law can still place an executor in the key decision-making role.We also look at the legal and ethical questions raised by digital afterlives. Who controls a person’s data after they die? What happens when a company offering an AI avatar closes down, or changes its terms and conditions? Kate discusses the risks around consent, data, grief and commercial services, and contrasts these with the State Library of Queensland’s “Charlie” digital veteran, an AI-generated composite based on historical material rather than one real person.Finally, we discuss the future of death law, including whether people’s wishes about their bodies should become legally binding, and how legislation may need to respond to water cremation, natural burial and human composting. Kate’s practical message is clear: talk with the people close to you about what you want, make sure they understand your wishes, and think carefully about who you appoint as executor.Remember; You may not be ready to die, but at least you can be prepared.Take care,CatherineWe'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-)MY LOVED ONE HAS DIED, WHAT DO I DO NOW?Our guide, ‘My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?’ provides practical steps for the hours and days after a loved one's death. Download it here.SUPPORT SERVICESIf you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, find support through our resources and bereavement services here. The free 3-minute Critical Info Check helps you see what you’ve already got covered — and what your next step could be.Three minutes. One next step.Go to gettingstarted.criticalinfo.com.au Every Tuesday at 7pm, I host Critical Chat Tuesdays — free, online conversations where you can ask questions or just listen.No pressure. No expectation.Because this isn’t about planning for “someday” — it’s about being ready for whatever life throws your way.Join anytime at criticalinfo.com.au/eventsSupport the showYOUR NEXT STEPTake the free 3-minute Critical Info Check to see what you’ve already got covered — and what your next step could be.https://gettingstarted.criticalinfo.com.au/NEED SUPPORT?The Critical Info Resource Hub connects you with organisations and services offering grief, bereavement and other practical support.https://criticalinfo.com.au/support/KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOINGJoin Critical Chat Tuesday, a free online conversation every Tuesday at 7pm Melbourne time.Find out more:https://criticalinfo.com.au/eventsIF SOMEONE HAS DIEDIf someone you love has died, our After-Death Guide — My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now? — provides practical guidance to help you navigate what needs to happen next.https://criticalinfo.com.au/product/my-loved-one-has-died/LEARN MOREhttps://criticalinfo.com.au/For resources mentioned in this episode, check the links and information provided in the episode description.
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    1 ora e 3 min
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