- Sample 6 Wk Course Overview -

	  Urgent Whispers: Care of the Dying
A Refresher Course about helping out at the end of life.
Based on  Urgent Whispers: Care of the Dying  by Jerral Sapienza
 ISBN: 0971710708 (paper)  0971710759 (clear spiral coil-bound)  
4.25" x 7"  152p $14.95  - Published by LLX Press; Eugene, OR 
	Online info:  http://WWW.LLX.COM/Info.html
	
Why this training?
	People want to help.  Yet, well-meaning potential caregivers
sometimes say they feel almost paralyzed... not knowing exactly what to
do, what to say, how to act while they're with someone who is dying.  As a
result, a loved one can be left to die alone while caregivers avoid the
situation, still trying to figure out how to help... 

Who is the intended audience for the seminar course? 
	First time and experienced Hospice Volunteers;  Health Care
Professionals;  Senior Center & Clinical Care Facility Assistants; 
Students;  Members of the Clergy and Lay-Ministerial Communities;  and
those who are currently acting as (or about to become) care-givers for
Friends or Family at the end of life; Bereaved friends and family. 

Location: 	To be determined...  Your conference room / local conference
		center / retreat area.  
Time: 		10-12 hrs:  TBD...    Six weekly 2-hr blocks: 
		eg:Tue 6-8 p.m;  or Two weekend days. 

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. 




Sample Topical Overview by Week, for the six session course:    
( Can also be customized to better fit your organization or church's
needs, expanding or combining certain subjects as, for instance, a
4-session course, or working with your other in-house programs or
facilitators to develop a custom presentation as necessary.) 

    Each session features a combination of discussion, story telling,
    exercises, readings and contemplation.

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 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 Details:  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. 
	
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 Lovein the carrying of
these things over into our lives?  More gifts of these times.  Closing
Evals. 

Pre-Registration is strongly suggested 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.

Text:   Urgent Whispers: Care of the Dying  $14.95, available at the
course, church / hospice bookstore, retail shop, etc.