Activities Being Planned Across the Country
Looking for activities or ways to promote NHDD across your community (as well as your personal or social circles)? We work with community champions all over who have shared some fantastic ideas with us, so far, about what they are planning for NHDD 2023. Below are a few ideas brewing that individuals from a range of organizations across the country shared with us on our latest NHDD 2023 Community Planning Call (check out our call recording, slides and chat for additional information). We hope this sparks ideas for you.
Movie nights / film screenings:
- Elizabeth Coplan from Grief Dialogues and Rev. Corey Kennard shared how to host a community film screening of Honoring Choices and create dialogues after the movie to spark conversations about what matters most when it comes to life and wishes through the end of life. Kennard also shared how Advance Care Planning (ACP) can serve as legacy building, sharing tips on how ACP and conversations are “a way for people to be seen, be heard, and be understood.”
- Eve Gardner, Roberta Geidner and Candace Robinson from Horizon Planning, WellSpan Health, South Central PA noted they plan to partner with community coalitions to host Movie nights. And, they will host a “Friends and Family” event and invite their fellow staff members to learn about ACP.
Creating fun videos and tapping the power of social media:
- Charlotte Friend, representing a Law Firm doing Elder law in TX will be going around their law office that writes advance directives for clients, to ask all the paralegals if they’ve made their decisions— for a TikTok video.
- Carol Bush representing the ICT Palliative Care Coalition in Wichita, KS noted their coalition is collaborating on leveraging awareness of NHDD via their social networks, with community partners & their @ICTPalliativeCareCoalition Facebook page (using The Conversation Project communication toolkits and other resources)
- Jessica Esterson from Patient Priorities Care noted their team will be engaging on social media to make new connections and share their Patient Priorities Care tools for decision making. Patient Priorities Care offers free resources for clinicians and individuals to help support partnerships in care and spark conversations around what matters most, so care can be aligned to what the person wants.
Promoting within and across health care settings (employees, staff and patients/carers):
- Nichole Aldrich with the Erie County Medical Center palliative care department in Buffalo, NY is partnering with employee health and their insurance carrier on a campaign to have health care proxies documented in employees’ chart.
- Chris Brinneman at Parkview Health, Fort Wayne, IN is hosting a coworker-facing event where they will choose to do one of 3 things: 1) either bring Advance Directive (AD) to be reviewed, 2) schedule a conversation or 3) start their WiserCare online digital ACP platform experience.
- Molly Garnett from Pardee UNC Healthcare in NC noted their theme is “Making Your Healthcare Decisions Clear” and will have a table in the cafeteria for staff. They will give away a small clear bud vase, and have several notaries and witnesses available, as NC state requires both.
- Kristen K from Reid Health Hospice in Richmond, IN is setting up a booth at their hospital in the main concourse, promoting patrons to fill out ADs. Also noted they do quarterly talks at events about ADs and will host a screening and discussion of Being Mortal film later this year.
- Amy Staniforth with the ADRC of Brown County, Green Bay, WI notes they are part of a local Advance Care Planning Partnership with local health systems and a hospice organization (offering a monthly educational group session on ADs for Healthcare). For NHDD they will offer this monthly group session as well as one-one-one appointments to complete the AD documents from start to finish. They are also part of a state-wide coalition that is using the slogan “Your Voice, Your Choice: Who will speak for you if you can’t.”
- Carolyn Kazdan from IRPO is featuring Patty Webster from The Conversation Project and Dr. Deidre Myelod from Honoring Choices Indiana North Central in a 30-minute webinar for their participating health care providers, community groups and general public.
- Danielle Grando from Tower Health, Reading, PA plans to use the banner of their intranet to encourage all employees to support their patients by having the conversation with their own family members to gain confidence.
- Debbie Dey in Annapolis, MD will host ‘coffee and conversation’ a safe space for patients and staff to stop by, get the info/forms and ask questions with a care team onsite.
- Lindsey Boldrin, ACP Facilitator at PeaceHealth in WA is planning to host tables at hospital/clinics, create a LinkedIn blitz for ACP presentations, write a press release about NHDD and completing ADs and circulating it to local media. ACP presentations/events will be shared on all free local event calendars.
- Rebecca A Gruskos from Bon Secours Mercy Health in VA will start with messaging through their health system patient portal in advance of NHDD.
Events for community members, friends, and general public outreach:
- Amanda Fierro, Cedar Crest by Erikson Senior Living in NJ is hoping to do a panel type event with a doctor, lawyer & faith representative with lots of handouts.
- Deborah Strickland will participate in a hospital Health Fair, coordinate a gathering with a friend’s group to discuss ACP and speak at a community group dinner and assist with completion of ADs.
- Carla Sutter with Arizona Healthcare Directive Registry is working collaboratively with the End of Life Care Partnership (EOLCP) for NHDD day activities in Southern AZ. They are also hosting an annual 5 day 5 webinar series on advance care planning activities.
- Rhonda Basner, Funeral Consumer Alliance of GA in Gainesville is hosting a ‘death over dinner’ with neighbors.
- Sibyl Yau from the Board of Health in Skokie, IL noted plans to give a talk at their local library for NHDD.
Promoting via educational institutes:
- Colleen Campbell from Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP) in Bucks County, PA will be on site at two colleges in allied health classes – hosting 30 second conversation starters and will also be doing social media blasts.
Reaching faith communities:
- Edward Holland from the MN Conference of the United Methodist (UM) Church Health Ministries Team is emailing NHDD information to all UM Churches, Clergy & Faith Community Nurses in MN.
- Patsy Klein at Catholic Community Services in Tucson, AZ will provide employees at CCS and Diocese of Tucson with the 5 Wishes forms and general information.
Celebrating in conjunction with special anniversaries:
- Scott Brown, President and CEO of A|D Vault, Inc notes they will be celebrating NHDD by making some exciting announcements to mark the 10th anniversary of their free consumer-facing Advance Care Planning (ACP) platform MyDirectives. Some of their healthcare payer and provider partners will also be making coordinated announcements on the expansion of their digital ACP programs using A|D Vault / MyDirectives solutions.
Local promotion in media, newspapers, and TV
- Tina Shibue with the San Francisco Palliative Care Work Group is hosting a press conference in San Francisco with city officials to emphasize the importance of ACP along with culturally attuned ACP workshops in several communities: African-American, Chinese, Latinx, and LGBTQ+
- Bob Laskowski is planning an OpED piece in the local papers, distribution of brochures, working with their Advance Care Coalition, and doing a local TV show appearance.
And, these three champions are making a big splash when it comes to NHDD and always. Check out their pins on our Conversation Champions Map.
- Phil Martin of Honoring Choices Tennessee in Nashville notes across NHDD their collaborative is launching a “Mind the Gap” for clinicians – a briefing and program closing the gap between AD wishes and point of care actions.
- Katie Bisaha from the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute in Princeton, NJ notes for NHDD they will be working through their Mayor’s Wellness Campaign, co-hosting a number of events throughout the state in collaboration with community partners, Conversations of Your Life (COYL) volunteers, and others. Events may include 5 Wishes workshops, Before I Die Art installations, Go Wish game nights and more (TBD!).
- Jill Putt and team with the Arizona End of Life Care Partnership, anchored at United Way of Tucson/So AZ shares they have a task force that is creating city-wide events focusing on “meeting people where they are”. This involves providing ACP education where people feel most comfortable and already congregate.
Share what you might be planning below! And, let us know if this was helpful for you. For more resources specific to NHDD 2023, keep an eye on our What’s New Tab for our latest blogs (e.g. Planning for NHDD 2023: frequently asked questions) and check out our communications toolkit for promoting NHDD.
Want to keep connected to The Conversation Project for more ideas from other communities? Sign-up for our community engagement newsletter, follow us on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube), and feel free to reach us at ConversationProject@ihi.org.
I would love to have events in my community.