Successful International Conference

The Melbourne Inaugural ACP Conference was an outstanding success. What a treat to be in the presence of such stellar healthcare leaders and to hear of the progress being made in the field of Advance Care Planning.

The speakers noted on the conference web page represented a broad range of clinical perspectives from around the world and delivered outstanding presentations.

The next international conference is being planned for London, England in June, 2011.

International ACP Conference - An Idea Whose Time Has Come

No longer a topic to be approached tentatively, fearing legal and ethical recriminations. Finally a topic to be incorporated into the everyday lives and health care of individuals--conversations to be initiated and honoured over time--a process, not an event. A fundamental human right: the right to express wishes about personal goals for future health care and have those wishes be durable through periods of decision-making incapacity. Advance Care Planning and the research supporting it will be the linchpin of the first ever International Conference on Advance Care Planning being held this April in Melbourne, Australia. International experts presenting in Melbourne include: Associate Professor W (Bill) Silvester
Austin Health, VIC (Chair)
Dr Bud Hammes
Ethicist and advance care planning expert, Wisconsin, USA
Ms Linda Briggs
Ethicist and advance care planning expert, Wisconsin, USA
Professor John Luce
Critical care and end-of-life care specialist, San Francisco, USA
Prof Malcolm Fisher AO
Intensive Care and end-of-life care specialist, Sydney, Australia
Ms Sue Grant RN, Dipl.T.
Advance care planning expert, Vancouver, Canada
Professor Jane Seymour
Palliative and end-of-life care expert, Nottingham, UK
Professor Keri Thomas
National Clinical Lead Palliative Care in the UK National Health Service End-of-life care program and Lead for the Gold Standards Framework program, Clinical Director Community Pall Care, Pan- Birmingham Palliative Care Network, Senior Clinical Lecturer Birmingham University, UK
Professor Pablo Simón Lorda
Advance care planning expert, Granada Spain
Professor Edwin C. Hui
Ethics and end-of-life care specialist, Hong Kong

Respecting Choices® ACP Tutorials and On-Site Facilitator Course

High calibre advance care planning educational materials are easy to access. These tutorials have been developed by Linda Briggs and Bud Hammes of Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation, Inc.
Reviewing these tutorials will make you want to pursue the full on-site course in La Crosse, Wisconsin. These on-site courses are offered a couple of times a year, and the next one is being held from October 26 - 28, 2009. The teaching is second to none.

Respecting Choices® - Conversations are Key

Take time to watch this well done video clip. It demonstrates the ground-breaking work of Bud Hammes and Linda Briggs at Gundersen Lutheran.
I feel so privileged to be associated with Gundersen Lutheran. The Respecting Choices® model of advance care planning is the model used to develop the Fraser Health (British Columbia)"My Voice" materials and education.

Inaugural International ACP Conference in Australia

The Inaugural International Advance Care Planning Conference presents a golden opportunity for attendees to participate and hear how advance care planning is working around the world, look at the impact of legislation, health policy and guidelines and see what strategies are working and why.
Melbourne, Australia - April 22-24, 2010.

Subtracting Emotional Reactivity

I often wonder if we should consider taking the advance out of advance care plan. It’s redundant.
Some dictionary definitions of the word plan are as follows:
• a scheme or method of acting, doing, proceeding, making, etc., developed in advance: battle plans
• a method devised for making or doing something or achieving an end; program
• scheme; agenda; timetable; schedule
• to arrange a method or scheme beforehand for (any work, enterprise, or proceeding)
By taking the word advance out of advance care plan, much of the emotional reactivity around the process might dissipate.
A good discussion topic, I think.

London, Ontario CANSW Conference

Just 2 weeks to go before the Canadian Association of Nephrology Social Workers
Conference (October 21-23, 2009) in London, Ontario. The theme of the conference is: Beyond DNR: Re-thinking Advance Care Planning and Palliative Care.