Hospice Foundation of America E-Newsletter
November 2003
Hospice Foundation of America E-Newsletter
Volume 3, Issue 11
November 2003
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Message from David Abrams, President
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As in previous years, the President has designated November as National Hospice Month, and we would like to add our voice to the well-deserved recognition of the work conducted by hospices around the country. It is also National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregiver's Month. Hospice workers are very proud to share many of the values espoused by these movements. At HFA we encourage our readers to learn more about these important health and social issues. We've listed links to some significant organizations in the FYI section below.
November is also the beginning of the holiday season. At HFA this is the time of year we focus our resources to help people cope with the particular issues of grief during the holidays. In this month's e-newsletter we've listed a number of our resources related specifically to this time of year in the event some of the families you serve might find value in them.
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Focus on: Holidays and Grief
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An awareness of the challenges the season presents does not make grieving any easier, but it may help people understand and accept their reactions. Dr. Kenneth Doka, HFA's Senior Bereavement Consultant, suggests following "The Three C's of Holiday Grief."
Choose: We can decide what activities we wish to participate in, who we want to be with, what we want to do.
Communicate: It is important that we discuss our choices with others, especially those who are affected by them. They have needs as well. Compromise: When we communicate, we may find that our feelings and needs, the very ways that we cope, will differ. We need to find space to compromise.
Read the full text of Dr. Doka's article.
Rabbi Earl Grollman addresses the issue of dealing with Holiday Memories in his column, "Because You Asked."
HFA publishes a Holiday Issue of the bereavement newsletter, Journeys. This special issue, which contains four articles offering practical advice and support to those coping with loss during the holidays, is used by many professionals to help the grieving families with whom they work, and can be ordered individually or in bulk. For more information or to request a sample copy, please e-mail hfaoffice@hospicefoundation.org or place an order online.
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In the News
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HFA Chairman and CEO Jack D. Gordon recently wrote a letter to the New York Times with regard to the Terri Schiavo case in Florida. The letter was not published but we thought you would be interested in reading an excerpt from the letter. [Note: Mr. Gordon served as Chairman and CEO of HFA until his death in 2005.]
"I want to point out to those gathering around the Florida Statehouse that the court decision to permit Mrs. Schiavo's guardian to halt sustenance and hydration was simply carrying out the clear intent of Florida's Constitution.
The law recently passed by the Florida Legislature giving the governor a limited license to practice medicine is in complete contravention of that Constitution. The constitutional amendment passed by an overwhelming majority of Florida voters in the 1980's says in its entirety 'Every natural person has the right to be left alone and free from government interference in his private life.' I was a sponsor of that amendment as a member of the State Senate, in which I served from 1972 to 1992. It passed the Legislature practically unanimously with the sponsorship of a bipartisan leadership. It was ratified by the voters with over a 60% majority without the proponents spending any money at all on a campaign. So the argument that the licensing law for the governor is necessary to overrule "judicial despots" is a figment of the hyperactive imagination of those who would seek to ignore the will of the Florida electorate."
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Hospice and Alzheimer's Disease
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As part of its year-long focus on Alzheimer's disease, HFA will inform you of relevant articles and resources on the subject. Bruce Jennings of the Hastings Center has written an interesting article examining and encouraging the use of hospice services by persons with end-stage Alzheimer's disease. The essay is posted at the Growthhouse Webster.
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Site Coordinator's Corner
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REMEMBER: Register to host a site before November 26 and pay only $20 for the Materials Fee! Call us at 1-800-854-3402 to have a registration form sent to you, or visit the HFA Web site to download a registration form or register online.
Need more information about hosting a site for the teleconference? Check out the Frequently Asked Questions section.
For those who are considering hosting a site but are having trouble locating a satellite to pull down the broadcast, Adventist Communication Network (ACN) will be carrying the teleconference live over their network of 1,300 satellite locations across the country. Many ACN facilities are willing to open their doors to local community groups who wish to host the teleconference. For more information about ACN, contact them at 800-226-1119.
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FYI
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November is an important time for communities to honor and support those who work in caregiving and end-of-life care.
For additional information and ideas, visit:
National Hospice Month
National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month
National Family Caregiver's Month
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has developed Standards for Social Work Practice in Palliative and End of Life Care with a grant from Project on Death in America. Social work experts in palliative and end of life care contributed to the standards. NASW members may review the standards and provide comments through mid-December 2003, by linking to the Standards for Social Work Practice in Palliative and End of Life Care from the NASW home page. Please note: This information is only available to NASW members.
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This newsletter is sent to more than 6,600 subscribers on the 2nd Wednesday
of every month 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.
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 2003
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