Conference Session 5: Loss and Grief in Times of Disasters - Existential and Emotional Aspects of Being Mortal
Friday, October 30, 2020, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM PST
Category: Conferences
Loss and Grief in Times of Disasters – Existential and Emotional Aspects of Being MortalPanel:
Session Facilitator: Jennifer Sasser Continuing Education Credit: This session has been approved for 2 CME credits (AMA PRE Category 1)* and 2 AFH training credits.
This is the last of five sessions of OGA's 2020 virtual conference. You can register for individual sessions or, at a discount, for the entire conference series. For an overview of all sessions, please visit the conference page.
Elizabeth currently works as the Executive Director and an end of life doula for the Peaceful Presence Project, a nonprofit that seeks to help Central Oregonians live well, age well and die well by reimagining the way the community talks about, plans for and experiences the last stage of life. She also works as the Central Oregon Lead for the Center for Age Friendly Excellence. She’s passionate about the integration of age inclusive initiatives into local communities, as well as honest dialogues around the complexities of the aging and dying process. Summary: Elizabeth's presentation will focus on what it looks like to be a more death- and grief-literate culture (and individual) and why this matters, especially in the face of massive collective loss and trauma. She will discuss the role of an end-of-life doula in our communities and how their support can assist in the loss and grieving process. The presentation will address what is missing in our grieving process and what can we do about it. Learning objectives:
She served as faculty and taught courses in Aging Services at Metropolitan State University and worked for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Colorado Chapter before moving to Oregon to serve in her current role as an Older Adult Behavioral Health Specialist with Washington County. Kera is passionate about battling the stigma of mental health and dementia in order to create a more age-friendly community. She holds a Masters Degree in Human Services and has received certification in gerontology and dementia and special training in music therapy. Summary: Kera's presentation aims at encouraging us to talk about death and learn about life in the process. She will introduce the Death Café - an international movement that focuses on the gathering of community (often strangers) into a safe space for conversation and connection regarding the topics of death, dying, and mortality. Learning objectives:
In addition to being a licensed Funeral Service Practitioner, Deborah received training from Final Passages in California as a Home Funeral Guide, aka Death Midwife. She educates families on how to keep their loved one at home and have a service there. Deborah is passionate about end-of-life preparation and how end-of-life doulas can play a vital role in this process. She received end-of-life doula training two years ago from INELDA (International End of Life Doula Association). She is also a member of NEDA (National End-of-Life Doula Alliance). Up until this last March, she held monthly meetings with other end-of-life doulas in the Portland area. She received training as a Death Café facilitator and has attended many death cafés. Ron and Deborah also own the only Harley-Davidson motorcycle hearse in the Pacific Northwest; it is known as Your Last Ride. Summary: Deborah will share her experiences on how COVID-19 restrictions have impacted funeral services and the traditions and rituals that are relied upon for the grieving process. She will discuss how the opportunity of being creative and innovative may help eliminate the need to adhere to traditional, and sometimes obsolete, funeral services which have turned many people off to the idea of having a service at all. She will also address how to find the silver linings of the COVID-19 restrictions, which may be the catalyst for reimagining funerary practices of memorializing and honoring the dead. Learning objectives:
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