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Organize a Public Forum
(sample)
Goal:
To organize a local Public Forum to improve end-of-life care in
your community.
Suggested Timing:
October or November
Title:
Finding Our Way: Living with Dying in _____(Cleveland, Tucson,
Atlanta, etc.)
It's time to confront the issues of pain, loss of dignity, and a
sense of helplessness near the end-of-life. Let’s discuss needs
and plan resources in order to help our citizens.
Invite:
For the panel, invite a prominent community physician, palliative
and hospice care community leaders, a social worker, a member of
the clergy (non-denominational, or a different faith for each
meeting), and your Congressman or another local legislator. For
the audience, invite local legislators, representatives from the
Area Office on Aging and/or Human Services, elder law attorneys,
business leaders, other community leaders, hospice
representatives, physicians, social workers, local foundations,
reporters from newspapers, radio and TV shows and the public.
Discussion Facilitator:
First, find a good facilitator! Next, look for experience. A
well-respected and well-spoken physician with palliative care
experience or community leader in hospice palliative care is a
good choice. The same is true for other panel members. Often, a
local radio or TV show host can capably facilitate discussion.
Set up:
Panel members should be seated in the front of the room and rows
of chairs available for the audience; provide a lectern for
moderator with microphone; several microphones at the head table;
standing microphones in each of the aisles; print-outs of
Finding Our Way articles that have run so far; print multiple copies of
the Palliative Care article and place copies on each chair or hand
out to each attendee. Place an easel-backed Finding Our Way poster
next to the lectern. These will be available after August 15, by
e-mailing your request to
findingourway123@aol.com
Suggested Format:
Discussion should be tailored to the needs and questions of your
community. The following is a general guideline only. Be sure to
address issues that require local action.
Facilitator Talking Points:
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When facing advanced illness, far too many of us encounter
unrelenting pain; too many of us suffer the indignity of
restraints in hospital or nursing home beds; we have unanswered
questions about what is happening to our bodies; we don’t know
to whom to talk and we hardly know the questions to ask. |
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Introduce palliative care practitioners, social worker and
clergy (each should be prepared to give a brief -no more than 5
minutes- talk to help stimulate questions from the audience). |
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We are here to help begin the conversation. |
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Without talking, without planning, we will not have a
peaceful death; we will not have a “good ending” to our lives. |
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What specific action steps can we take in our community to
improve end-of-life care. |
Open the floor to questions. Please tell us your story and
let’s talk about it. You might encourage the audience to ask the
panelists about:
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When is the right time to start talking about end-of-life
issues? |
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What local and statewide legislative agendas can be
developed? |
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What is palliative care and where can I get it here? |
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How can I be sure my concerns about pain management are
addressed? |
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How I can get the doctor to answer my questions such as…? |
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What should/can I tell young children about dying? |
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How can we handle suicide, car accidents that result in
death, other violent death in our community? |
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How can I bring up the subject with my family? |
If the discussion is slow to begin, one of the facilitators can
open with the story of a real life circumstance, preferably one he
or she knows personally, and use it as an example that raises
questions and topics for discussion.
Possible Action Steps Include:
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Ask your local hospitals about their pain management
practices - are they committed to helping their dying patients
be pain-free? |
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Make a list of the hospitals in your area that offer
palliative care services. What does each include? |
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How can they be improved? |
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Find out who is -or could be- organizing training programs
for family caregivers. How would such a program be funded?
Promoted? |
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Create “support” groups to help people learn to discuss the
issues with their families. |
Related Media Activities:
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Write a news release announcing the public meeting(s) for
your local newspapers and broadcasters. |
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Write a Public Service Announcement with the time and place
of the public meeting(s) for your local radio stations. |
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Contact your local TV and radio shows about interviews with
the moderator and other facilitators, either announcing the
public meeting or summarizing what happened afterward. |
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