Hospice Foundation of America
E-Newsletter
Volume 6, Issue 12
December 2006
http://www.hospicefoundation.org

Focus on: Planning for HFA’s 14th Annual National Bereavement Teleconference: Living With Grief^®: Before and After the Death

Recently in Washington, the program content for HFA’s upcoming national bereavement teleconference, Living With Grief^®: Before and After the Death was the subject of intense focus during a planning meeting with the full panel. While this year’s topic is in many ways a return to a familiar subject for many teleconference participants, this panel spent its time looking forward, discussing the most current thinking about grief and bereavement.

Frank Sesno, an Emmy-award winning journalist, special correspondent with CNN and a faculty member George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs, will moderate the program, which features panelists:

• Scott W. Bradley, MSW, CT, CFSP
• Kenneth J. Doka, PhD, MDiv
• Lorraine Hedtke, MSW, ACSW, LCSW
• Patricia Murphy, PhD, APN, FAAN
• Robert A. Neimeyer, PhD
• Robert Washington, PhD, MDiv

The panelists all bring a great depth of experience and research to the work of the teleconference. Yet one concern shared by the group is that, while there is a serious body of knowledge about grief and bereavement that is evidence-based, much about the grieving process is still caught up in “folklore,” or in outdated notions of grief. As one panelist noted, the process of grief should no longer be seen as “saying goodbye,” “creating artificial closure”, or “moving on and creating a new life.” All agree that a plurality of models is needed, because we have a plurality of grievers; the principles behind the models should be used for guidance.

Much of the discussion focused on the incredible resiliency of those who are grieving. One panelist reminded the group that caregivers should be “amazed” by this resilience, and be careful not to pathologize it. One panelist described what they do as providing a “guide bar” to grievers. Professionals can’t necessarily help grievers “make meaning”, but can guide them on how to do so. But it was also noted that some grievers don’t make meaning of their grief; they simply survive.

The panelists shared their ideas of the purpose of grief. One panelist sees the process as a way of “reaffirming what can be and reconstructing what we no longer have.” One pertinent question posed was, “how do people construct continuity between the process of grief with their ‘normal’ life, and still recognize themselves?” Another panelist talked about the importance of giving grievers permission to keep a relationship alive, even while adjusting to learning to live without the person who has died. The panelists agreed upon the idea that grief is about relationships; one panelist called it a “relational emotion, like love.” One panelist reminded the group that an important role of those professionals supporting grievers is to “normalize the agony”, and acknowledge how difficult this process really is.

The teleconference program is never scripted, but the panelists develop a general set of guidelines to shape their conversations.

HFA’s 14th annual National Bereavement Teleconference, Living With Grief^®: Before and After the Death, will be broadcast live Thursday, March 22, 2007 from 1:30--4:00pm EDT. This satellite and webcast teleconference, as well as an accompanying book, will explore the most current theoretical perspectives on loss and grief as experienced by persons throughout a life-limiting illness and by survivors after the death. Panelists will discuss topics such as

• anticipatory grief and mourning
• meaning-making
• life review
• assisting families at the moment of death
• funerals, memorials, and other rituals and their importance in the grieving process
• new insights and developments in our understanding of grief
• implications for practice, including effective interventions
• and the importance of self-care for professionals.

The program will be useful to a range of professionals who counsel persons who are bereaved including psychologists, counselors, clergy, social workers, nurses, case managers and other health care workers, and funeral directors, as well as educators, teachers and school-based personnel. The information will also be helpful to individuals who offer education on loss, grief, dying or death.

Did You Know: HFA now offers the teleconference via satellite AND webcast. Learn more about the technical requirements.

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