Hospice Foundation of America
E-Newsletter
Volume 7, Issue 7
July 2007
http://www.hospicefoundation.org
July 2007
In this issue:
- Message from David Abrams, President/CEO
- Focus on: International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement
- Call for 2008 Cover Art
- HFA's National Bereavement Teleconference
- Host a Downlink Site!
- Upcoming Conferences and Educational Opportunities
Message from David Abrams, President/CEO
While the staff at HFA is already immersed in planning for the 2008 teleconference, Living With Grief: Children and Adolescents, which will be broadcast on Wednesday, April 16, many of you are anticipating well-deserved summer vacations. This e-newsletter will "go on vacation" for the month of August, but will return again on the second Wednesday of September.
This month's enewsletter has an international focus--specifically, on the International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement. HFA has three consultants--Ken Doka, William Lamers, and board member Myra McPherson--who serve as members of this unique group. HFA's audiences benefit from the scholarship of this group as well, as many members have contributed significantly to HFA's books, teleconferences, and other resources.
Focus on: International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement
In June, international experts from the fields of hospice, public health and community development, the sociology of dying and death, spiritual aspects of end of life care, pain management, education, and even the economics and politics of care of dying persons, came together in Brazil for study and collegiality. The members of the International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement (http://www.iwgddb.org) are leaders in the field--those who give keynote presentations and contribute scholarly work. Ken Doka, who has been a member for close to 20 years, notes that "IWG meetings allow us to recharge our batteries. While there are some presentations by scholars from the host city, the real strength of IWG is coming together in the study and work groups. Even with the increased technological abilities to communicate internationally via email, the value of working in person cannot be underestimated."
Over the years, the IWG has developed Principles and Assumptions to set standards for care. Many of the documents have been published and are available on the 'public' section of the IWG web site. Another set of documents will be added soon, covering a wide range of topics, from care of dying persons to ethical issues at the end of life.
William Lamers, one of the founding IWG members and a long-term board member, concurs. "The heart of the meetings is the work group experience. The other part is the friendships and trust developed over many years among people from many countries…The IWG is truly a work group."
Call for 2008 LWG Book Cover Art
HFA is calling for submissions of grief-related artwork by children and adolescents. One piece of artwork will be selected as the cover image for HFA's 2008 book, Living with Grief: Children and Adolescents. Artwork must be the original work of achild or adolescent under the age of 21 and must be received by HFA by November 30, 2007. There will be a $500 honorarium provided to the artist whose work is selected for the book and a $250 honorarium provided, if applicable, to the hospice, school, or other organization that facilitated the artist’s work.
For more information on the submission process, visit here.
HFA's National Bereavement Teleconference
HFA's 15th annual National Bereavement Teleconference, Living With Grief: Children and Adolescents, will be broadcast Wednesday, April 16, 2008. HFA's 2008 Teleconference will focus on the experience of grieving children and adolescents and the ways that hospice professionals, teachers and school administrators, grief counselors, funeral directors, and parents can best support these populations as they cope with loss and grief. The program and newly published book will focus on the most current theories and practices in this area, and as always will combine academic research with hands-on ideas for use in hospice support groups and other settings.
At the conclusion of the 2008 teleconference, participants will be able to:
- Describe the situations that might engender grief in children and adolescents as well as the particular ways that grief may be manifested in children and adolescents;
- Describe and evaluate strategies for work with grieving children and adolescents, including counseling, support groups, expressive and play therapies, school-based programs, and camp-based programs;
- Discuss effective strategies to empower parents and other support systems, such as schools and faith communities, to assist grieving children and adolescents; and
- Describe the unique issues that grieving children and adolescents pose for professional caregivers and offer strategies for effective self-help and professional support.
Congratulations to Site Coordinators who have hosted a site for at least five years; HFA is grateful for your support and continued participation.
If you haven't done so before, HFA encourages you to consider hosting a downlink site for the 2008 teleconference. Site coordinators have found that there are many benefits to hosting an HFA teleconference. Being a host can:
- Increase awareness of your organization in your community;
- Offer you and colleagues the opportunity to build relationships with other caregivers, advocates, and community leaders;
- Help frontline health workers, family caregivers and advocates stay current on end-of-life topics;
- Provide low-cost continuing education credit to more than 70 boards, including nursing, social work, funeral directors, counselors, clergy, EMS workers and others.
The teleconference will be telecast live, and it is anticipated that more than 100,000 people at more than 1,200 locations across the United States will view the program. To show the teleconference via satellite, you will need a satellite that can receive the C or KU-band frequency, a monitor with sound, and seating to accommodate an audience. If a satellite downlink is not available in your area, you may also contact HFA to find out how to show the teleconference via live streaming webcast.
Registration will begin in October; if you have questions, please contact
telecon@hospicefoundation.org
Upcoming Conferences and Educational Opportunities
The Oregon Center for Applied Science (ORCAS) is conducting a research study to gather feedback for a new online interactive program designed to help individuals who are experiencing grief over the recent loss of a loved one. Participants will be asked to provide feedback and opinions on two online surveys. Study activities can be done entirely from the comfort of home, and participants will be compensated. To find out more, go to the website or call 1-800-934-0626.
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