Alive Hospice will host faith leaders’ conference on spiritual support at the end of life, August 6, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Register by July 6 for this free Aug. 6 interfaith conference
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – It’s something every faith leader has faced or will face: being called upon for spiritual support at a time of death or dying. It can be difficult (even for faith leaders) to know how to support families during such a difficult time, but Alive Hospice can help.
Alive Hospice will host a free conference for faith leaders on Aug. 6 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the nonprofit agency’s administrative offices, located at 1718 Patterson St. (near downtown Nashville). Participants may register until July 6 by calling 615-963-4831. Space is limited, and early registration is encouraged.
This conference is designed to help leaders of any faith who have little or great experience with caring for the dying and their loved ones. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Alive Hospice’s interfaith chaplains will offer insights and tools that can help turn a difficult visit with a dying patient into a very meaningful experience for all involved.
Topics that will be covered at the Aug.6 conference include:
· Understanding the terminally ill patient
· What to expect with a patient in hospice care
· The importance of advance care planning
· Compassion fatigue
· Dying: A congregational response
· Grief support services and volunteer opportunities
Research shows that spiritual care visits can be difficult, but greatly needed
A 2008 Duke University study showed that, although 94 percent of spiritual leaders reported that they’ve visited people facing the end of life, only 61.3 percent described themselves as “very comfortable” making these visits.
Nevertheless, research shows how important spiritual support is for many patients at the end of life. In one 2009 study, nearly 80 percent of patients with advanced cancer said that faith helped them cope with their illnesses, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. In the same study, nearly one-third (31.6 percent) of patients said that faith was the most important thing that kept them going.
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Additionally, patients who receive spiritual support at the end of life tend to have better quality of life, according to a 2009 study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Spiritual support for terminally ill patients and their families is an important part of Alive Hospice’s care. Each day, the nonprofit agency’s interfaith chaplains help patients and their loved ones find comfort in their own faith traditions. Alive Hospice’s founders believed that spiritual care is a crucial element in providing care for patients who are nearing the end of life. In fact, the group that worked to establish Alive Hospice had representation from the Middle Tennessee faith community. In keeping with their vision, spiritual support remains an essential part of Alive Hospice’s care.
Founded in 1975, Alive Hospice was one of the nation’s earliest hospice programs. Today, it provides compassionate end-of-life care and grief support services in 12 Middle Tennessee counties. For more information, call 615-327-1085 or visit www.alivehospice.org.
