Asking a client about their end-of-life wishes can feel uncomfortable, even for seasoned professionals. Yet older adults may be less afraid of dying than of upsetting their loved ones. Health professionals can help by creating a safe space for clients to talk about their end-of-life wishes, and by guiding the family through each stage of the healthcare journey. One way to ease into the conversation is simply by asking what matters to them most—to live independently, care for their pet, spend time with the grandchildren, take walks, live as long as possible? Their answers will help inform the advance care planning process.
Insights from experts
The pandemic has brought greater urgency to this topic, but end-of-life conversations are always relevant and timely. For that reason, Lifespark is hosting a free CEU webinar on April 14, 2021: Let’s Talk – Advance Care Directives and End-of-Life Conversations. The event will feature a panel of Lifespark experts: Rev. Jeremiah Lideen, Lifespark’s Director of Chaplaincy, Laurie Endris, MSW, LGSW, medical social worker with Lifespark Hospice, and Cindy Crawford, BSN, RN, clinical referral specialist for Lifespark Hospice.
The presenters will cover strategies for destigmatizing and normalizing end-of-life conversations, the role of active listening in the context of death and dying, the transformative power of hospice care—and much more.
We hope you’ll join us! The webinar is free, but registration is required. Click here to register.
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Noon–1:00 pm CT
1.0 CEU
REGISTER TODAY
Read more about our presenters:
Rev. Jeremiah Lideen is Director of Chaplaincy at Lifespark where he integrates spiritual care across all services lines, providing for the growing variance of care needs in the second half of life. His 14 years of ministry experience include working as a chaplain, pastor and spiritual director in local church, healthcare, and military settings. He was Director of Spiritual Life at Walker Methodist and the founder of Uptown Church which he started in South Minneapolis with the United Methodist Church. Jeremiah served five years as a chaplain in the Minnesota Army National Guard with a focus on crisis counseling, soldier marriage, and communication skills. He is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church and holds a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Luther Seminary in St Paul, and a Bachelor of Arts in Family and Youth Ministry from Augsburg University.
Laurie Endris, MSW, LGSW, is a Medical Social Worker with Lifespark Hospice. She also serves as adjunct faculty at the College of St. Scholastica where she teaches social work practice courses and develops courses in professional stress and wellness and social work advocacy. Her research and teaching interests include interventions for caregivers with helping-related stress and resilience, overcoming barriers to advance care planning, addressing psychosocial determinants of pain management, and enhancing collaboration and organizational wellness in healthcare. Laurie holds a Master of Social Work from Campbellsville University, and a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, in Social Work from College of St. Scholastica. She is a member of the Phi Alpha Honors Society, National Association of Social Workers, Minnesota Coalition for Death Education and Support, and the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network.
Cindy Crawford, BSN, RN, is a Clinical Referral Specialist for Lifespark Hospice where she specializes in end-of-life conversations. Her work in this area started over 30 years ago on the oncology unit of a large metropolitan hospital. Seated across from a middle-aged man dying from lung cancer, she learned the critical importance of taking time to actively listen and be fully present. When the man indicated to her that “no one had time,” she understood that people are waiting to be heard. She has extensive experience in geriatrics, jail ministry, and her own inner-city ministry to women who have been sexually abused. By engaging clients in difficult, often emotional conversations, Cindy helps spark their journey to finding inner peace, especially at the end of life.
