Hospice Foundation of America E-Newsletter
November 2002
Hospice Foundation of America E-Newsletter
Volume 2, Issue 11
November 2002
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Message from David Abrams, President
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November is National Hospice Month and National Family Caregivers Month. All of us at Hospice Foundation of America salute hospice staff members, volunteers and the many family caregivers in the important work they do.
In the "What's New at HFA" corner this month you will notice a partnership between Hospice College of America and Hospice Foundation of America. Hospice College of America is a newly organized subsidiary of HFA through which we will be offering expanded opportunities for professional development to those interested in health care issues at the end-of-life. Over the next few months you will hear more of our plans for Hospice College of America, and we hope you will find them as innovative and of high a quality as our other educational programs.
We also wish everyone a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday season.
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Focus on: Holidays and Grief
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For many people, the holidays are a joyous period marked by festive celebrations, a time spent with family and friends, a time to look ahead with excitement to the coming new year. Yet for those struggling with the death of a loved one, the holidays can be quite difficult. While many holiday memories can be a source of comfort to grievers, they also may be painful reminders that magnify the sense of loss. 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.
Read an article by Rabbi Earl Grollman, "Holiday Memories."
HFA publishes a special 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-mailhfaoffice@hospicefoundation.org or place an order online.
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What's New@HFA
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NBCC Home Study Courses. Hospice Foundation of America in conjunction with Hospice College of America is pleased to offer HFA's Living With Grief National Bereavement Teleconferences as home study courses for individuals. Each home study course is approved for three (3) contact hours of continuing education credit by the National Board of Certified Counselors (Provider #5729.) Many health care professionals use this award-winning, satellite broadcast as part of their ongoing educational development. Now those who have missed the live satellite teleconference can take advantage of these education offerings. Each course includes a VHS videotape of the teleconference, a copy of the companion book of articles, learning objectives and CE evaluation form. At only $50 per course (just about the cost of the video and book alone) this is an economical and convenient way to earn CEs at home and add valuable resources to your professional library. To request additional information and a home study order form, contact Program Assistant 1-800-854-3402. Online ordering will be available by the end of November at the new HCA Web site www.hospicecollegeofamerica.org.
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Articles of Interest
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An article by Jerome Groopman, MD, that appeared in the October 28, 2002 issue of The New Yorker may be of interest to many of our readers. Dr. Groopman provides insight into delivering news of a terminal diagnosis to patients. Read this article.
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Site Coordinator's Corner
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The Site Coordinator's Manual for Living With Grief: Coping With Public Tragedy is hot off the press. Manuals were mailed out to all currently registered teleconference site coordinators last week. This year's Manual has been revised to reflect suggestions and input from past site coordinators and will assist you in successfully organization and hosting HFA's annual bereavement teleconference.
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 Kristen Baker at 1-800-854-3402 or kbaker@hospicefoundation.org.
REMEMBER: Register to host a site before November 30 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.
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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 Family Caregivers Month
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This newsletter is sent to more than 8,100 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.
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 2002
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