Hospice Foundation of America E-Newsletter
December 2004
Hospice Foundation of America E-Newsletter
Volume 4, Issue 12
December 2004
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Message from David Abrams, President
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December is the time of year when families get together, and these gatherings
can provide an excellent time to talk about difficult end-of-life
matters. While these conversations often begin awkwardly, you would be surprised
to find out both how much loved ones welcome the opportunity to have these
discussions, and how often families realize that they need more information to
help guide their choices and decisions. In our e-newsletter last December we
included an interview with Bill Colby, an attorney and author who discussed
important issues about
end-of-life decision-making, as well as the Cruzan and Schiavo right-to-die
cases. While the status of the Schiavo case has changed since the interview, Mr.
Colby made some critical points about the value of discussing choices at the end
of life, and we thought
you'd like another opportunity to re-read
the interview.
On behalf of the staff at HFA, we wish you and your families a pleasant holiday
season and all our best
for a happy and healthy New Year.
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Focus on: HFA's Consumer Initiatives
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A reader recently shared a story with us, which underscored the importance of
having information and knowledge about end-of-life decision-making before a
crisis occurs. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, the reader's mother-in-law set
aside time with her adult children and their spouses to share her thoughts and
wishes for the type of care she would like to receive
at the end of her life. She also took the time to show everyone where her
advance directives and health care
proxy papers were filed, and even a few psalms and poems that she would like to
have read at her funeral.
This woman was not facing a terminal illness, but understood the great need to
inform her family of these choices while still able to do so. The story
ended with the note, "She gave us a great gift for the holidays, and set a
wonderful example to us all."
One of the main missions of HFA is to educate consumers about end-of-life
choices and decision-making before a crisis occurs. Many of the resources that
we have developed were done so
specifically out of an expressed need from professionals in the hospice field.
Below, we've highlighted some of our newest resources. It is our hope that these
tools may help you in your
professional work to educate families in your community, or they may even help
you with your own families' decision-making process.
HFA Website: HFA has recently updated its website to enhance and expand upon the
information it offers for both consumers and professionals. The redesigned site
provides visitors an opportunity to "Ask an Expert"
and receive answers, via e-mail, from hospice physician William Lamers, an
authority on pain management and hospice care, or Kenneth Doka, a
professor of gerontology who is known internationally for his work on grief and
bereavement. The site also
includes a new Caregiver's Corner, with resources and assessment tools for
family caregivers and paid professional caregivers. Please go to
http://www.hospicefoundation.org
to see more about what HFA's web site has to offer.
Online Education: HFA recently developed an online course for clergy and faith
leaders designed to enhance understanding of issues related to end of life care,
and to provide techniques to help clergy and lay leaders to assist members of
their congregations who
are facing a medical crisis. Since its inception a few months ago, the site has
had over 178 participants. Funded by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs,
the course is free for Florida clergy and has a nominal fee for clergy residing
in other states. CE's are
available for selected disciplines.
http://www.endoflife.org
Journeys: Journeys is a monthly newsletter designed to offer support and
practical advice to those coping
with loss and bereavement. Hundreds of hospices, hospitals, long term care
facilities, counseling centers, and funeral homes successfully use Journeys as
part of their bereavement programs. In addition to the monthly newsletter, HFA
offers Special Issues that address times when bereavement can be especially
difficult: the Holiday issue; the Newly Bereaved Issue; and the Anniversary
Issue. Other Special Issues focus on certain populations or situations: the
Helping Young People Issue; the Adolescent Issue, which features articles for
young people written by young people; and the newest issue,
focusing on Pet Loss. To receive a free sample of one of our Special Issues,
please send an email with your name, mailing address, and the issue you'd like
to receive to hfaoffice@hospicefoundation.org
Another excellent resource for consumer information about end-of-life care is Growthhouse.
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In the News
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A recent USA Today article highlighted an often neglected issue during
wartime--the grief and bereavement of military spouses. The
article includes
information about TAPS, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (http://www.taps.org)
which provides
excellent support and assistance to these families deeply impacted by military
deaths in the US and abroad.
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Site Coordinator's Corner
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Registration is now available online for hosting a site for our teleconference
on "Ethical Dilemmas at the End of Life." The site registration fee is only
$20 for Site Coordinators who register before January 15th. And
remember--Continuing Education Unit credits
are available for a wide range of professionals for HFA's teleconference. In
order to take advantage of the continuing education component of this program,
you must
register your site with HFA.
Need more information about hosting a site for the teleconference? Check out the
Frequently Asked Questions section.
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This newsletter is sent to more than 6,400 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 2004
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