During the month of November, we reflected on the many things we are thankful for: community champions committed to spreading the TCP initiative, individuals supporting solo agers and groups approaching end-of-life conversations in creative ways. As we close out the year, we look forward to continuing to produce and disseminate materials and resources designed to encourage everyone to express their end-of-life wishes. Check out the list of resources and materials we produced during the month of November. Comment below: what else would you like to see in the new year?
New Resources
To be honest, we’re not quite sure who thought to themselves, “Hey, you know what would be fun? To create a game about death!” But someone did and it seems to have ignited a wave of groups/individuals who put the “death” in death match. Over the past few years, there has been a surge of games created with the intent to gather people around to laugh, play and have fun as they contemplate on a very serious matter: living and dying. Check out a list of games that will break the ice and make us a little bit more comfortable with talking about what matters most to us through the end of life.
Whether you’re on a long ride to visit some friends or on your morning commute to work, podcasts are a great way to simultaneously pass the time and hear moving stories from others. We’ve compiled a list of podcasts that speak to the idea of being human: confronting our mortality, the loss of loved ones and making the most out of our limited time here. These episodes approach the topic of end-of-life humorously, intellectually, sorrowfully and—simply—candidly. Check out this compilation of podcasts
Events
Our annual national event, Conversation Sabbath, took place from October 25-November 3. During this event, we invited congregations throughout the country to take part in Conversation Sabbath, sharing each faith’s teachings on this critical topic and supporting congregants in having the conversation in familiar settings, and not during a medical crisis in the ICU. Did your community participate in Conversation Sabbath? If so, share your story to potentially be featured on our blog. Email us: conversationproject@ihi.org
Community Call
- Are you grappling with how best to support those who may not have family or a support system around them? Or are you reaching “elder orphans” and have some ideas to share on how best to ensure this population is supported, listened to and given opportunities to talk about what matters most to them? This past November, we discussed ways to ensure this critical segment of the population is not left behind. We were joined by a solo ager who created an expansive support network for others and has learned some fabulous lessons along the way.
November 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 andclick here to be added to our newsletter listserv.
Additional resources can be found on our Get Involved page.