Hospice Foundation of America E-Newsletter
February 2005
Hospice Foundation of America E-Newsletter
Volume 5, Issue 2
February 2005
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Message from David Abrams,
President
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On April 20, HFA will broadcast
its twelfth annual National Bereavement Teleconference, "Ethical Dilemmas at the
End of Life." The teleconference has come to be recognized as the leading
training program on hospice and bereavement in the country, having reached over
three quarters of a million professionals in communities across the US and
Canada. We thank everyone who has participated in the past and those who plan to
join us this year. This year's topic is one that has the potential to touch us
all either professionally or personally in the near future, and we thank those
site coordinators who are bringing it into their communities. We also want to
thank the national organizations that are providing HFA with support. We invite
you to think of ways to spread the word about the program and encourage
participation in your community, and we've listed some ways below to help you do
that.
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Focus on: HFA Sponsors and
Partners
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Hospice Foundation of America is
grateful to the following organizations who have offered their support and
participation in this year's teleconference. The teleconference is sponsored in
part from a grant from:
The Foundation for
End-of-Life Care, a not-for-profit organization established by VITAS
Healthcare Corporation that was created to improve end-of-life care for
individual patients and their families, while supporting fundamental societal
change. It is estimated that less than one fourth of the terminally ill patients
who could benefit from hospice use it. This lack of access denies patients and
their families the medical, social and spiritual support necessary for a quality
end of life experience.
The teleconference is presented in cooperation with:
The Hastings Center, an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit bioethics research institute founded in 1969 to explore fundamental and emerging questions in health care, biotechnology, and the environment. The work is carried out by interdisciplinary teams that convene at the Center's home in Garrison, NY, to frame and examine issues that inform professional practice, public conversation, and social policy.
National Hospice Work Group, a professional coalition of hospice pioneers, executives, consultants and researchers committed to increasing access to the palliative competencies of hospice care.
Adventist Communication Network, the satellite media distribution service for the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Many members of the ACN will make their facilities available to local groups who wish to host a site for the HFA teleconference; for more information about utilizing one in your community, please call Kristen Baker at HFA, 800-854-3402.
Association for Death Education and Counseling, an international professional organization dedicated to promoting excellence in death education, care of the dying, and bereavement counseling and support. Based on quality research and theory, the Association provides information, support, and resources to its multicultural, multidisciplinary membership and, through it, to the public.
National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with 153,000 members. NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies.
U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs is committed to providing its employees with the training and education they need to provide outstanding service to veterans and other eligible customers.
The National Catholic Ministry to the Bereaved offers pastoral and spiritual support to the bereaved, caregivers, agencies, congregations, and dioceses through education and resources so that all who mourn a loss through death may receive the healing comfort of God.
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What's New@HFA
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Each year, HFA publishes a book in
conjunction with the annual national bereavement teleconference. The book is an
excellent stand-alone resource, with contributions on a wide range of topics by
experts in the field as well as from family caregivers. The book will be
available at many teleconference sites, but can also be ordered directly by
individuals; simply call us at 800-854-3402 for ordering information. See the
full Table of Contents.
The book addresses many important issues surrounding decision making at the end of life. A common dilemma faced by many families is how to make end-of-life decisions when there is conflict between family members or differing perspectives on the patient's need and wishes. Samira K. Beckwith, CEO of Hope Hospice and Palliative Care, addresses this issue in "When Families Disagree: Family Conflict and Decisions."
"Please Don't Tell Her:
Family Opposition to Breaking
Bad News" is a case study by the San Diego Hospice and Palliative Care that
focuses on a specific case, with discussion questions for caregivers.
On January 26, 2004 the New Yorker magazine printed an article by Jerome Groopman that was critical of grief counselors and dismissive of grief counseling. That article caused strong reaction within the end-of-life community, including from an international invitational organization of counselors, hospice administrators, physicians and academics in psychology called the International Work Group on Dying, Death, and Bereavement (IWG). Their response has evolved into the draft of a charter, which they are circulating for comment. HFA intends to make an organizational comment, and we are posting the IWG draft charter because we want to offer readers of our e-newsletter an opportunity to influence the draft of a document that may influence future attitudes toward grief and loss. See the IWG document.
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End-of-Life Care In the News
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Bill Nelson, the senior U.S.
senator from Florida who sits on the Senate Special Committee on Aging, plans to
introduce the Advance Directives Improvement and Education Act on Thursday,
February 10. Please watch HFA's March e-newsletter for more information about
this important legislation.
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Locate a Teleconference Site
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If you are an individual
interested in attending the HFA annual Teleconference broadcast in April, you
can locate a site in your area.
Please be sure to contact the local site coordinator listed for information about attending the teleconference at his or her location. Some sites have limited space and a reservation must be made with the local site coordinator. Individual attendees do not need to register with Hospice Foundation of America.
If there is no site listed in your area, check back as new sites are added regularly.
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Site Coordinator's Corner
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Register and Win! Be sure to
register your organization as a downlink site for HFA's 12th Annual National
Bereavement Teleconference, to be broadcast April 20. Sites registered by
February 18, 2005 will be automatically entered in a drawing to win one free box
of companion books for this year's broadcast. The winner will be posted to the
HFA Web site on March 1, 2005. You can
register online.
One complimentary copy of the companion book will be mailed in late February to all registered Site Coordinators; book orders must be submitted, with payment, by April 1.
Satellite Coordinates will be posted to the Site Coordinators page in late February; please remember to provide this information to your technical staff. Reminder: If your site is offering CEUs through HFA, applicants must use the evaluation form provided by HFA; substitutions cannot be accepted due to strict board guidelines.
If you have questions or concerns about your registration, please send an email to telecon@hospicefoundation.org.
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F.Y.I.
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The 3rd annual End-of-Life Nursing
Education Consortium Pediatric Palliative Care (ELNEC-PPC) Training Program
will be held on August 3-5, 2005 in Pasadena, CA.
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This newsletter is sent to more
than 6,425 subscribers on the 2nd Wednesday of
every month to keep you informed of what is happening in the fields of hospice,
grief and bereavement, and caregiving, as well as what's new at HFA. We
encourage you to forward this e-newsletter to an interested colleague or friend.
If at any time you wish to unsubscribe, follow the instructions below. Privacy
Statement: In no case will we share e-mail addresses. See the full text of
HFA's Privacy Policy.
This newsletter is published by
Hospice Foundation of America
Jack D. Gordon, Chairman
David Abrams, President
http://www.hospicefoundation.org
Board of Directors: Thomas E. Bryant, MD, JD; Myra MacPherson; Priscilla
Perry; Patricia Spulak; Thomas Spulak
© Hospice Foundation of America 2005
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