Hospice Foundation of America E-Newsletter
June 2003
Hospice Foundation of America E-Newsletter
Volume 3, Issue 6
June 2003
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Message from David Abrams, President
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We've been pleased to receive so many positive responses to the announcement of our 2004 teleconference, which will focus on Alzheimer's disease and loss. Many teleconference site coordinators and participants have suggested this topic over time, and we're already hard at work planning the program and the book. And once again, we need your input.
Does your hospice have special programs or guidelines for Alzheimer's patients? Does your organization host Adult Day programs for persons with Alzheimer's disease? Does your faith community offer support groups for families coping with Alzheimer's and the grief issues that accompany the illness? We're searching for trends in community programs and best practices that address these issues in new and exciting ways. Let us know about what your organization and your community are doing by emailing Kristen Baker, Teleconference Manager, at kbaker@hospicefoundation.org.
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Focus on: Loss and the Arts
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William Lamers, HFA's Medical Consultant, recently addressed the 21st International Death, Grief & Bereavement Conference on the subject of "Poetry and Grief." In his paper, Lamers stated, "The expression of grief in poetry offers two major opportunities: It provides a window into the universal phenomenon we call 'grief.' It raises the potential of using the reading and writing of poetry in the support of bereaved persons." Literature and other art forms are used in expressive therapies that can be of great help to the bereaved.
Read an excerpt from Dr. Lamers' paper.
Sandra Bertman, PhD, writes extensively on the role of the arts in understanding grief and loss. She contributed a chapter, "Public Tragedy and the Arts", to HFA's recent publication, exploring artistic responses to tragic events throughout history.
Hospice counselors and others who work with grieving
persons often utilize expressive therapies in their
work. One example of how art therapy can be used in a
hospice setting is The Hospices of the National
Capital Region Art Therapy program.
Contact your local
hospice to find out how they incorporate the arts into
their programs.
The New York University School of Medicine offers a resource for non-scientific literature, films, and art related to medicine, recovery, illness, and death. A search engine lets you find everything from prose by Alice Walker to poetry by John Donne.
To learn more about art therapy and music therapy, go to the American Art Therapy Association and the American Music Therapy Association.
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What's New @ HFA
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Hospice College of America (http://www.hospicecollege.org) has entered into a partnership with The Ohio State University Health Sciences Center Office of Geriatrics and Gerontology to offer the opportunity for enhanced training in end-of-life care offered by the SUNSET Program (Series to Understand, Nurture and Support End-of-Life Transitions). Travel to http://sunset.osu.edu to learn more about available modules and continuing education approvals.
HFA's award-winning autobiographical workbook, "A Guide to Recalling and Telling Your Life Story", has been published in Japanese. Copies can be ordered directly by e-mailing rhamamoto@shufunotomo.co.jp .
Read more about the Guide, go to HFA's web site.
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HFA Featured Resource
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In a recent survey of teleconference participants, many people requested more information on cultural issues and grief. "Who We Are, How We Grieve", a teleconference video and companion book from HFA, explores how factors such as culture, spirituality, gender and age influence the ways we experience grief and express loss. Who We Are, How We Grieve features discussions of how culture and spirituality can either help or hinder the grieving process, as well as how patterns of coping with grief vary by gender, class, age or developmental levels.
CEU credits are available for this subject through the home study courses at Hospice College of America, http://www.hospicecollege.org
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F.Y.I.
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Applications are now available for the 2004 American Hospital Association Circle of Life Award: Celebrating Innovation in End-of-Life Care. The Circle of Life Award honors innovative programs to improve the care people receive near the end of their lives, whether in hospital, hospice, nursing home, or home. The award is co-sponsored by the American Medical Association, the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and supported by a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Applications may be downloaded from the website http://www.aha.org/circleoflife or obtained by calling 312/422-2700.
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This newsletter is sent to more than 8,700 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.
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This newsletter is published by Hospice Foundation of America
Jack D. Gordon, Chairman
David Abrams, President http://www.hospicefoundation.org
© Hospice Foundation of America 2003
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