During the month of May, we at The Conversation Project (TCP) produced and helped disseminate a number of new tools and resources designed to support you as you either have the conversation about what matters most to you or lead the TCP initiative within your community. Below is a list of our new materials. We hope that you find them useful as you help shift our culture from one that does not address issues of death and dying to one that embraces meaningful discussions about end-of-life. Check out the list below to access our latest materials!
Case Study, Stories, Reflections and Lessons Learned
Beth Gamel, Managing Director at Argent Wealth Management, is no stranger to experiences with death. So, when she heard Ellen Goodman talk about The Conversation Project’s message about the importance of end-of-life care conversations, it personally hit home. Read this piece that highlights the vital role financial advisors can play in helping their clients prepare for how they want to live at the end of their lives.
Listen to this podcast where TCP’s Advisor to Faith Communities, Rosemary Lloyd, discusses the importance of having the conversation! In it, she underscores how transformative having end-of-life conversations can be for individuals and their families.
Read this touching piece by a granddaughter who sat down with her beloved grandfather to have the conversation. In it, she not only shares what her experience was like, she also offers readers some tips to keep in mind as they have the conversation with their grandparents
- Letters to Loved Ones
In April, we kicked off a letter campaign to encourage everyone, everywhere to write a letter to their loved ones about what matters most to them. People have been sending us their letters and we’ve shared two so far. Read this piece by a woman who urges her kids to “listen to [their] mother…” and by another woman who ensures her family that they’ll do just fine. Inspired? Send us your letter to possibly be featured on our website: conversationproject@ihi.org.
Health Care Resources
Check out this blog that contains a compilation of resources healthcare providers can find useful as they navigate having the conversation with their patients. From toolkits to motivating videos, these materials are designed to help clinicians ensure that their patients’ end-of-life wishes are being heard and respected.
This new toolkit is intended to help clinicians address some of the challenges of engaging with patients and families in end-of-life care conversations over time. The four cases present patients with diverse backgrounds and experiences at different points of illness, as well as diverse clinicians and care settings. Each case describes the progression of the patient’s illness and outlines key considerations for clinicians to engage the patient and family in discussions about what matters most to the patient at the end of life.
Revised Kits
At TCP, we make it a point to request and address feedback we receive from you! After hearing several requests to update the color formatting of our Starter Kits, we have made the suggested change. You can now print our Kits without worrying about using up too much ink. We always appreciate learning more about how we can improve all aspects of our work. Please continue to send us your feedback at convesationproject@ihi.org
Community Calls
- During our May Community Call, we highlighted lessons from several groups, including a local grassroots advocate and organizer in Washington State and a state-wide coalition in South Carolina. Listen to the recording to hear the stories they bring to the work, steps they took, key people they engaged, lessons on funding and more! Learn from others as you think about joining forces with others to spread this work further.
What’s coming next?
Join us on Wednesday, June 19 at 3 PM ET for our Community Planning 101 Call. This webinar provides an overview of The Conversation Project and our work in the community. This call will enable you to bring The Conversation Project to individuals in your community where they live, work, and pray by providing you with information on tools and resources available online, guided questions to consider for your region, and examples of how to set and attain specific goals.
And, join us on July 17th at 3 PM ET as the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care shares their latest findings and learning from their messaging research project. Lessons shared will include tested language for engaging the broader public, as well as targeted “segments” of the population, in conversations about what really matters to their life and health.
Click here to register for both calls!
May Newsletters
- The Conversation Project has three newsletters designed to update you on our latest resources, news and events. Missed last month’s newsletters? Click the links below to access them and click here to be added to our newsletter listserv.
Additional resources can be found on our Get Involved page.
I MAY CO LEAD A CONVERSATION WORKSHOP AT MY UU CONGREGATION NEXT FALL. I AM WONDERING IF THE WEBINAR CONVERSATION WAS RECORDED SO THAT I MIGHT USE IT DURING THE WORKSHOP ? ALSO, ARE THE STARTER KITS AVAILABLE FOR FREE OR IF NOT, WHAT WOULD BE THE COST OF ORDERING 25 OR SO, OR… SHOULD WE JUST PRINT OUT THE MATERIAL?
JUDITH BERNSTEIN, ARROYO GRANDE, CA.