Community Engagement Newsletter November 13, 2019

Death is Not a Game: Well, Sometimes it Is 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. Click here to access 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. Testimonial from the Field: A CEO’s Insight on The Conversation Project We caught up with Ted Sarenski, CPA/PFS, CFP, AEP and CEO of  Blue Ocean Strategic Capital, LLC . to hear his thoughts on integrating The Conversation project into his work with clients and families. We hope this example sheds further light for those in professional services work. Click here to read his testimonial. Upcoming Community Calls November 20th: 3:00-4:00 PM ET: Reaching and Supporting Solo Agers: 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? Then this call is for you! Join us to discuss ways to ensure this critical segment of the population is not left behind. We’ll be joined by a Solo Aging Expert and Advisor, Carol Marak who created an expansive support network for others and has learned some fabulous lessons along the way. Click here to register for the call!

Resources for the Holiday Season The holiday season is quickly approaching and as we prepare to gather around the table with those near and dear to us we encourage you to seize the moment and have meaningful conversations about end-of-life wishes. Below are a list of resources to inspire you how to share what matters most to you with those who matter most: Tips for Starting End-of-Life Discussions with Your Grandparents A Matter of Heart: A Father’s Reflections on Advance Care Planning What Happens When the Family Cannot Agree on End-of-Life Issues? A Conversation with Tembi Locke: Love, Loss and Fava Beans (Part 1, Part 2) It's Because I Love You (Poem) October 2019 Recap October was filled with opportunities, resources and materials that prompted us to think about how one can best live out their values and ensure that their end-of-life wishes are honored. From book lists to Conversation Sabbath, last month led us to think more critically about what matters most. Click here for a compilation of resources that we shared during the month of October.

IHI National Forum Join us at IHI's National Forum! The IHI National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care is a four-day conference that has been the home of quality improvement (QI) in health care for more than 30 years. It brings together health care visionaries, improvement professionals, world leaders and industry newcomers. During the Forum, we'll host three different sessions: Special Interest Breakfast: This presentation will introduce participants to the mission of The Conversation Project (TCP). Too many people die in a manner they would not choose, and too many of their loved ones are left feeling bereaved, guilty, and uncertain. The Conversation Project is dedicated to change the current norm. Participants will receive a high-level overview of the various components of TCP and how they can bring the initiatives into their setting. Death Over Deli: Like most people, you know you should talk about your wishes for end of life care — particularly if you couldn’t speak for yourself. But something gets in the way — like how to start, or maybe plain old denial. Join The Conversation Project team for a casual lunch and friendly conversation about what matters most to you. Ensure your wishes will be expressed and respected. Don’t wait. It’s always too soon — until it’s too late. Click here to learn more about and register for the Forum. Death Over Dinner Death Over Dinner was created as a gift, an invitation and a simple set of tools to help families and friends address the basic human fact that we are all, at some point, going to die.The dinner table is the most forgiving place for difficult conversation. The ritual of breaking bread creates warmth and connection, and puts us in touch with our humanity. It offers an environment that is more suitable than the usual places we discuss end of life. Death Over Dinners helps you to create a warm space to have what can be a challenge topic to address. Click here to learn more

Video: Ask What Really Matters this Thanksgiving The holidays make it all but impossible to avoid awkward questions from your family. But they’re also the perfect opportunity to ask important ones. Click here to watch a video about some questions that you'll inevitably encounter.

Conversation Champion Highlight: Community VNA Community VNA is a private, non-profit, family of healthcare services located in southeastern Massachusetts . They provide adult day health care, private care, elder dental and Alzheimer's assistance programs to local communities.They have hosted Conversation Starter Kit workshops as an educational resource in the communities they serve. Their first workshop was held at a local public library, using the 90 minute agenda and slide deck . They also offer 60 minute workshops at the Councils on Aging in their service areas.They plan to offer more workshops in adjacent towns. Click here to learn more about their work! Click here  to put your organization on The Conversation Project's Conversation Champion Map and possibly be featured in our next newsletter! TCP Quarterly Community Activity Survey Results

Our team recently asked for your participation in our Quarterly Community Activity Survey. A huge THANK YOU to all who participated! Special recognition to our two winners of $50 Amazon gift cards: our champions Tuesday Tynan from Ann Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, MD and Chris Brinneman from Parkview Health in Fort Wayne, IN.   We are excited to share results from the third quarter of 2019! 104 community groups or individuals responded , reporting over 760 events/activities from July through September 2019. Over 24,000 people were reached by these in-person events. These face-to-face activities combined with sharing materials, tools and messages on the importance of conversations through newsletters, email messages, social media, and traditional media outlets, totaled to over 77,500 engagements . Great job to all! We had 3 groups hosting over 50 events and one group, Montefiore Medical Center in NY , hosting more than 140 events across the quarter. And, a special shout out to these five groups who reached between 1,000 and 5,500 community members: Hospice Care of the Lowcountry in SC, Horizon Foundation’s community initiative in Howard County, MD, Parkview Health in IN, Kokua Mau in HI, and the Chinese American Coalition for Compassionate Care in CA ! We love hearing how deep and wide your support is spanning.    We are so proud of all 104 incredible champions and grateful for all you are doing to bring conversations to your community. THANK YOU! Please continue to share your activities/learning with us in our next survey. For those who haven’t yet shared your fantastic work with us, you will have one last opportunity to have your 2019 work counted in our last survey of the year. Stay tuned! The breakdown of total number of engagements is listed in the chart above!

News Roundup: What We're Reading Let's Talk About DeathSandy Chen Stokes: Helping Chinese Americans Navigate End-of-Life Decisions via Next Avenue Algorithm Identifies Patients for End-of-Life Care Communication via Patient Satisfaction News As his Alzheimer’s looms, Charles and Pam Ogletree take one last walk in love via Boston Globe To die well, we must talk about death before the end of life via PBS

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The Conversation Starter Kit is a useful tool to help you have the conversation with a family member, friend, or other loved one about your – or their – wishes regarding end-of-life care. It is available in several languages.  All of the Starter Kits are available to download and print for free. To purchase printed copies of the Starter Kits, print in bulk or add your logo and contact information,  visit our Mimeo Marketplace Limited time professionally printed Starter Kit discount! If you know someone who would benefit from receiving this newsletter, have them register here . Visit our website

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