Most people avoid conversations about serious illness, dying, and grief until a crisis forces the conversation. By then, it is too late to prepare, plan, or make the most of the time that remains. The right speaker changes that, not by making these topics heavier, but by making them approachable, honest, and genuinely useful to the people in the room.

That is exactly what I do.

Why Event Planners and Organizations Choose Me

I’m not a motivational speaker who has read about hospice care. I’m a working hospice and palliative care nurse, a published author of more than 50 books on end-of-life care, dementia, grief, and medication safety, and a Health Navigation Specialist who walks alongside patients and families through the hardest chapters of their lives every day.

I bring that experience directly to your audience, with clinical accuracy, practical depth, and the kind of genuine warmth that makes people feel seen rather than lectured.

I’ve spoken to audiences ranging from interdisciplinary hospice and palliative care professionals to faith community caregivers to general public audiences navigating illness in their own families. Whatever your audience looks like, I tailor my presentation to speak directly to where they are.

Recent Speaking Engagements

• South Carolina Hospice and Palliative Care Conference, Columbia Museum of Art, March 27, 2026: I served as one of three featured keynote speakers, presenting on advanced prognosis techniques to ensure timely hospice admissions to an audience of approximately 150 physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and palliative care professionals. View the presentation.
• Stephen Ministry Continuing Education, April 2026: A presentation on grief through the ages, how grief presents across life stages from children through older adults, and how caregivers and ministry volunteers can offer more effective, language-informed support.
• Hospice Explained Podcast: Deep conversations on hospice and palliative care understanding across four episodes: Episode 105, Episode 121, Episode 150, and Episode 171.
• Aspects of Aging with Christine A. Smith: Exploring aging and end-of-life topics for individuals and families navigating this season of life.
• The Death Doula Movement: Discussing how to get started in death doula work and what meaningful end-of-life support looks like in practice.

What Your Audience Will Hear From Peter

“Peter Abraham led a continuing education class to our group of Stephen Ministers on the subject of grief. It was full of relevant information on how we can best support our care receivers who are experiencing grief before and after a sick loved one passes away, including how grief shows up among different age groups, including children, and how best to support each age group. It was also very helpful to learn which languages are helpful or harmful in supporting those who are experiencing loss. Peter was very professional and answered all questions very well. We look forward to having him return to our church very soon.”
— Edwina

“Peter is an exceptional professional. I attended one of his dementia seminars. I learned so much about how to better care for my loved ones who are currently in the early stages, and was even lucky enough to receive one of his books. His seminar covered dietary suggestions, local resources, and even homeopathic suggestions. I can only hope that others can see the value in his work!”
— Sara

“We had Peter come and do some extra education for our staff. I was so pleased with the information that he provided us about hospice care and palliative care. Peter is very knowledgeable about end-of-life care. His compassion and insight have leveled up our caregiving skills.”
— Ronda S. Martinez, Assistant Director, Visiting Angels, Richmond, KY

Speaking Topics

I customize every presentation to your audience, their level of knowledge, and the outcomes you want them to walk away with. Core topic areas include:

Hospice and Palliative Care: The real difference between palliative care and hospice care, and why it matters for families and clinicians. Advance prognosis techniques for timely and appropriate hospice admissions. What families actually need from healthcare teams at the end of life. Comfort medications, pathophysiology at the end of life, and what families and staff should understand about the dying process.

Dementia Care: Dementia 101 – understanding the disease, the stages, and what each one means for care. Validation therapy and trauma-informed communication, approaches that reduce behavioral symptoms and improve daily care. Behavioral challenges, including sundowning, agitation, restlessness, and refusals of care. Care options for families, including GUIDE, PACE, palliative care, hospice, and placement.

Grief and Loss: How grief presents across all life stages, including children, teenagers, and older adults. Anticipatory grief and ambiguous loss, the grief that happens before and around death. Language that helps and language that harms when supporting someone in loss. Integrating grief into a life that still holds meaning and purpose.

Medication Safety and Reconciliation: How to identify dangerous drug interactions before they cause harm. Medication review tools, including the BEERS Criteria, STOPPFrail, and the STOPP/START method. Recognizing when medications have become a burden rather than a benefit.

Advance Care Planning: Why every adult over 18 needs a values-based advance directive, not just the elderly. How to guide individuals and families through the planning process with clarity and compassion. What makes an advance directive legally valid and clinically useful?

End-of-Life Choices and Support: VSED (voluntarily stopping eating and drinking) and comfort-focused care choices. Common myths about death, dying, and hospice care, and the truths that replace them. Legacy work: creating meaningful connections and lasting memories across generations. End-of-life doulas: what they do, who benefits, and how to get started.

Who I Speak To

I present to a wide range of audiences, including: healthcare professionals, including nurses, social workers, chaplains, physicians, and palliative care teams seeking continuing education; caregiving organizations, including home health agencies, memory care facilities, and assisted living communities; faith communities, including church groups, Stephen Ministers, and pastoral care teams; general public audiences, including individuals and families navigating serious illness, dementia, or loss; and podcasts and media covering health, aging, caregiving, and end-of-life topics.

Online Training for Your Organization

In addition to live speaking engagements, I offer structured online training courses through Compassion Crossing Academy, a dedicated platform for healthcare professionals and caregiving organizations seeking deeper, self-paced education.

Speaking Fees

Speaking fees are based on the format, audience size, travel requirements, and scope of the engagement. I’m open to discussing options that work for your organization’s budget and goals. Schedule a free initial conversation with me to discuss your event.