Facing the end of a life is full of losses. Professional care providers have a responsibility to guide families facing end of life, but often feel ill equipped for this intimate and demanding role. Together, we will explore how to utilize relevant grief related concepts, such as anticipatory grief, chronic sorrow, non-finite loss, the Dual Process Model and meaning making in a palliative care context, and to support families undergoing such difficult transitions. We will follow a compelling case study to explore how to address gently the many challenges that families face, and will practice our helping skills in breakout sessions. We will explore the power of creative intervention, such as the crafting of musical playlists, to assist families in navigating a loved one’s final days. Key to this work is building circles of care both between community-based experts, families and medical teams on the one hand, and within the family system on the other. Finally, we will consider the impact of this work on our own lives by discussing compassion fatigue, parallel process and the gift of post traumatic growth.
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