from  http://WWW.LLX.COM/UW/Train/			     1.Jul.02
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  U r g e n t    W h i s p e r s :   C a r e   o f   t h e    D y i n g

  Overview of End-Of-Life care personal growth short course dedicated to
  Assisting a Friend, Loved One (or Client / Patient) at the End of Life
	based on the book of the same name by  Jerral Sapienza
	
Who should attend?
  Hospice oriented Health Care, Senior Center & Clinical Care Facility
  Professionals, Students, Members of the Clergy and Lay-Ministerial
  Community, those currently or interested in volunteering or working in
  Hospice, and those who are currently acting as care-givers for Friends
  or Family at the end of life, or their bereaved. 

Location:		Danielson Rectory Conference Rm 2

Time:			 Tue 6-8 pm   running 6 weeks. 

Content:		The seminar is designed to help foster broadened 
			understanding and dialog regarding:


- Spiritual, Emotional and Physical Needs of a loved one at  the end of life. 

- Matrix of Emotional and Spiritual Needs we seek to aid, and some of
	the processes for helping to meet those needs. 

- Interaction with friends and family (and/or other caregivers) and how
	their own needs, beliefs and overall understanding of the
	situation impacts direct patient care.
			
- Useful personal reflection on our own belief systems concerning life
	and death and end-of-life processes.  Consideration of our own
	mortality and what communication and personal planning needs we
	ourselves may wish to begin thinking about. 

- What it means to be a Caregiver and how in so doing we are both giving
	and receiving in the process.  Gifts and benefits of being a
	part of the vigil process. 


Objective:   Participants can expect to take away from the course an
	overview of the process of end-of-life care, including general
	hospice and palliative care practices with a concentration on
	maintaining a quality of life, for patient as well as
	caregivers:

	- An improved understanding of some of the physical aspects of
	the end-of-life progression, with a concentration of
 	understanding the more subtle yet important (urgent whisper)  points. 
	Participants will share in discussions of the medical aspects of
	end of life progressions, disease, diagnosis, palliative and
	symptomatic care for an overview of the dying process. 

	- An improved understanding of how the family impacts and is
	impacted by the end-of-life process and the diagnosis. 
	Participants will share in discussion of understandings /
	misunderstandings of the process, and what the necessities of
	the care process will be, including clear understanding of the
	concepts of the Breath Budget, Pity vs.  Compassion, remaining
	present and open to growing in the course of a vigil process. 

	- An improved understanding of the Spiritual Nature of the
	end-of-life process, and the necessity for respecting the
	patient's own spiritual needs.  Participants will examine
	various belief systems and be able to identify and respect
	similarities and differences in ritual, choices and needs in the
	final days. 
 
	- Experience with and understanding of the concept of inflow /
	outflow as it relates to a caregiver's process.  Participants
	will be familiar with communication techniques, documentation,
	question and answer techniques, observation and non-verbal cues,
	etc.  and how they affect and influence the end-of-life process. 

	- A faith and interest in the better understanding the vigil
	sitting process, with the ability to look forward to the next
	process as well, "a Way Back to Life after Caregiving" and share
	and understand gifts of a vigil. 
	
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        Sample Topical Overview by Week, for the six session course:    

	(Can also be customized to better fit your organization or
	church's needs, as, for instance, a 4-session course, combining
	some of these into one.) 

    	Each session features a combination of discussion, story telling,
	exercises, readings and contemplation. 
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Session 1:  General Overview of the Course, introduction of
	participants.  Needs and expectations in a Vigil process; 
	interpretations of commitment and obligation.  Discussions and
	examinations of where we are and how we got here:  Visitation of
	This Thing Called Death in our lives. 

Session 2: Anticipation of the process of Death, "Living to My Death"
	vs. "Dying from my Life." Caregiving and the ramifications of
	family dynamics, friendship dynamics, and special needs in the
	understanding of where we are going.  Focus on communication,
	Part I.

Session 3: Paying attention to the Parties:  Getting in touch with the
	participants of the process; how emerging friends, family and
	acquaintances can contribute to the quiet carrying on of your
	friend or loved one's life wishes, and the importance of paying
	attention to the small things.  Gifts of these times.  Focus on
	Communication, Part II. 

Session 4: "What it means to help"  Discussion and examples of the
	dynamics of a vigil process in terms of the shift of
	responsibility away from being friend / partner / caregiver to
	being more of a "co-conspirator" in the process, in the sense
	that we're "breathing together" this process leading to a
	peaceful death;  serving as "Tugboat for the Soul." 

Session 5: The Spiritual and Religious Aspects of Dying...  Discussion,
	examples and precautions in the variation of Spiritual
	Expression needs in the process of death & dying; various
	rituals, needs, beliefs, and expectations.  What it means to be
	a compassionate listener in spirit. 
	
Session 6: Growing from the process:  Accepting the Gift of God's Love
	in the process.  How have we grown in having been in attendance
	of the death vigil?  What have we learned about love from the
	being here?  How are we able then to continue to Learn,
	Grow, Share God's Love in the carrying of these things over into
	our lives?  More gifts of these times.  Closing Evals. 

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	Pre-Registration is strongly advised in order to keep the
	sessions smaller.  Participants are requested to commit to the
	entire session term in order to keep the same intimate group
	process developing and supported over the course. 

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      Text:       Urgent Whispers: Care of the Dying,     $14.95, 
   4.25" x 7"    152p    $14.95  Published by LLX Press; Eugene, OR     
     ISBN: 0971710708 (paper)     0971710759 (clear spiral coil-bound)
    available at course, church bookstore, retail shop, online, etc


     Sponsored by a nominal special offering at group sessions. 

--
Based on a Session Plan written by Jerral Sapienza