Hospice Foundation of America E-Newsletter - June 2001
Hospice Foundation of America E-Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 5
June 2001
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Message from David Abrams, President
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Hospice has always recognized that supporting people through loss and grief is a critical part of end-of-life care. Through our teleconference, books, and other publications, HFA has gathered resources and information from some of the best experts in the field. Still, there is no greater testament to surviving grief than the voice of the survivor.
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Focus on: Support from Those Living With Grief
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While death, loss, and bereavement are universal, grieving is not a process that is given much time or credence in today's culture. People are often told to "get over it" or are encouraged to "move on"; many workplaces offer, at best, 2 or 3 days of bereavement leave. Grief can be an incredibly isolating experience. Yet there are many excellent resources that can help those living with loss.
A reader of our bereavement newsletter, Journeys, told us, "These newsletter have been very helpful because they have helped me realize that I am not alone in my feelings, and that my feelings are not abnormal or unusual". This validation is often most powerful when it comes from someone who has also personally experienced grief. The growth of the Internet has provided new opportunities for grieving people to become connected, share their stories, and offer support to others facing grief and loss.
Some Websites offer interactive opportunities for individuals to post their personal stories and connect with others facing similar challenges:
For professionals who are interested in reading a study of online bereavement support, see http://www.edc.org/lastacts/ - click on the Current Issue and then see the Special Feature: Online Bereavement Support by Yvette Colon.
See a sample of HFA's bereavement newsletter, Journeys.
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What's New @ HFA
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HFA is embarking on a project to gather and share stories to hear the
Voices of those living with grief. We invite you to tell us, "What has
been your most memorable means of support during your journey of
grief?" Whether it was the hospice nurse who went beyond the call of
duty or the book that your neighbor gave you, these real-life accounts may
serve to provide others with new ideas and needed inspiration. Due to our
small staff, we cannot look at submissions over 700 words, and will not be
able to return submissions. Over time we hope to share these with other
readers through our Web site and our Journeys newsletter.
Please submit your story to: voices@hospicefoundation.org
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Site Coordinator's Corner
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HFA is pleased to announce that Phyllis Silverman, PhD, will join Dr. Kenneth Doka and Dr. Robert Butler on our teleconference panel for our exploration of Aging and Loss in April 2002. Dr. Silverman is a social scientist and Professor Emerita at the Institute of Health Professions at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her research has focused on the phenomenon of widowhood and on the grief of children who lose parents.
The one-hour edited videotape of our 8th annual National Bereavement Teleconference, Caregiving and Loss: Family Needs, Professional Responses, is now available.
If you have already placed a paid order, the video will be sent to you within two weeks. Watch your e-mail for an announcement of the broadcast date for 2002!
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This newsletter is sent to more than 3,900 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. To join our email newsletter, go to HFA's E-Newsletter sign-up page.
Privacy Statement: In no case will we share e-mail addresses. Read 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
© Hospice Foundation of America 2001
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