Power of Presence

Perhaps the greatest healing we can provide to those hurting is our presence. Attunement gives us the ability to communicate connection with few, if any, words. This presentation consists predominantly of practical exercises for participants to expand their ability to listen to patients and clients in a way that invites them to share even more deeply than ever before.

We WANT to be present with others when they are hurting. We WANT to know what to say or do to help. We’ve simply forgotten that we already know how. This presentation explores why it is so challenging to be with others’ pain, what to say, what not to say, and how to care well for ourselves in the process.

Far more than political correctness, our ability to connect with clients and colleagues of all cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints will make or break the trust and connection necessary to be effective in our work. With humor and authenticity, this presentation invites us to abandon shame, openly explore our tweak areas, and discover how to grow past them.

Alzheimer’s and other dementias have taken their place amongst the most dreaded experiences in our society.  When persons can no longer communicate with us in the ways to which we are accustomed, it is important to be better able to enter their word, find them on their terms, and meet them where they are.  This presentation will help all disciplines do just that.

” We know not to take money from patients/clients or families. We know not to have sex with them. What we often do not clearly understand is how to hold to ethical emotional boundaries that protect them from boundary violations and us from compassion fatigue. This presentation is certain to create healthier professionals and teams.

Often we pathologize grief that is expressed as conflict or anger. Without a clear understanding of our own relationship with these dynamics, we may fail to hear and respond appropriately to the pain being expressed loudly or contentiously, but that still deserves our presence and care. This presentation will support professionals in being more comfortable in such interactions.

The changes healthcare staff and other caring professionals face in this current regulatory and financial climate can make an already stressful job that much more challenging. This presentation will look at the dynamics that we CAN change, even when we are powerless to change the circumstance around us, by being mindful of the stories we tell ourselves and the ways we interact with dysfunction that can arise when humans gather in groups.

Walking in the midst of those who are hurting, we cannot help but to gather some of our own pain along the way.  Workplace conditions and our own forms of coping can invite or prevent burnout and compassion fatigue, which can be managed with techniques that borrow from the resilience literature. This presentation will explore these issues and offer practical tips to care for ourselves and each other on and off the job.

Research demonstrates service failures will happen, and handling them well actually creates greater loyalty, satisfaction, and other outcomes. This presentation explores how with practical tips and insights that require little to no time or expense.

Legal in all 50 states, Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking is an option more patients may consider whether Medical Aid in Dying laws are available in their state, or not.  Regardless of a professional’s views on these issues, understanding them is critical if we are to be able to respond compassionately and competently when the questions inevitably arise from patients and families.  This presentation provides a brief overview of both topics and the ethical underpinnings involved.

The better we understand the prevalence, potential sources, symptoms, and responses to trauma the better prepared we will be to provide care that decreases the risk of re-traumatization, the care burden on staff, provide greater protection for agencies, and satisfy CMS requirements being implemented for care providers.

Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) and Medical Aid in Dying are challenging topics with strongly held views on both sides of the fence. While our professional ethics call us to honor patient rights for self-determination, some professionals’ morals may conflict with such choice. We must be prepared to have these conversations with respect and professionalism, and this presentation is designed to give safe space to practice doing just that.

Those who do not follow an organized religion or even a spiritual path may still have questions and/or struggles about existence—how we understand suffering, where we find meaning, what it means to leave a legacy, etc.—that deserve to be supported by the caring professionals around them.  This presentation will offer insights into ideologies many may not fully understand and offer ways that we can show up compassionately for them all.

Research indicates those who are highly religious may be more likely to pursue unnecessarily aggressive interventions at the end of life.  When grief and other issues are unresolved and gentled education is necessary about quality vs. quantity of life, all disciplines must be prepared to balance being present, respecting beliefs, yet honoring our ethical calling to provide appropriate care.  This presentation will offer insight into ways to walk that fragile line.

Once we make safe space for patients to trust they will not be judged, they will be more likely to let us see their hurts, fears, and struggles.  CNAs, nurses, physicians, social workers, counselors, and volunteers as well as spiritual care counselors must learn to screen for pain that is spiritual, rather than physical, and provide appropriate interventions to care for patients and families during these times.

Knowing every single belief system that exists is impossible, but knowing how to be present with persons of all faiths and backgrounds, and no professed faith, is an art that spiritual care counselors and all disciplines can develop.  This presentation looks at what is involved in competent spiritual care and how to provide safe space for all persons to access their beliefs as a means of coping.

When our deepest beliefs about what it means to be a good person or professional collides with decisions others make or we are forced to make, the damage to our psyche must not be downplayed. Support must be provided in careful and intentional ways to create a safe and healing environment for all involved. This presentation will cover the basics of Moral Injury and tips for providing competent care in its midst.

With the competitive nature of hospice, finding your unique niche in your community can be a challenge.  This presentation provides examples of projects and involves the audience in discussing Next Practices in engaging staff to engage unique communities in a way that can bridge gaps and build loyalty with your program.

We have long heard that patients come first, but in healthy and effective organizations, that is not correct.  In this presentation, we discuss practical and easy methods for taking care of staff who will then care well for patients and families, with profits naturally following.

Caring for a loved one is often a great honor, but one with tremendous costs to our physical, emotional, and social health.  In this presentation geared specifically for informal/family caregivers, participants receive insights into ways to care for themselves, even with little to no time or other resources, so they can care better for others.