Closure I
Overview
The very first Closure Community Conversations Series was held from November 2007 through April 2008. The series was designed to bring the Jewish community together; engage partners and community leaders; confirm and expand understanding of end-of-life issues; and discover how best to mobilize support for patients and families.
Participants
Closure I engaged a natural network of community stakeholders who could directly improve end-of-life care: adult daycare workers; clergy; family caregivers; financial planners; home care workers, hospice workers, lawyers, long-term care workers, physicians and other medical professionals; social workers and social service providers .
Components
- Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, author of the New York Times Bestseller, Anticancer: A New Way of Life, kicked-off the series with a lecture about what makes a “good” end-of-life experience. Dr. Servan-Schreiber shared his experiences with end-of-life care as both a healthcare professional and a cancer survivor.
- Guided conversations with topic experts covering:
- What makes a good death
- End-of-life issues from a Jewish perspective
- End-of-life resources (hospice, legal planning and geriatric medical practices)
- The family’s experience
- Recommendations for an action plan in the Jewish community
Findings
In six sessions, the group outlined specific, pragmatic actions to improve end-of-life planning, decision making and care. Their goals were to increase appropriate hospice and palliative care; decrease unnecessary healthcare expenditures and ICU admittances at end-of-life; and help patients proactively plan for and manage end-of-life experiences.
