LIFE Institute

The goal of this activity is to explore additional symptoms of patients at EOL. Participants will be able to Identify symptoms quickly and learn to become proactive to help alleviate discomfort, increase knowledge of the interventions that clinicians can implement for comfort, and recognize through role play how to problem solve when symptoms other than pain arise. #110

The goal of this seminar is to increase the knowledge of clinicians on the meaning of illness, suffering and dying to patients and families, the ways in which cultural beliefs influence decision-making about medical and end-of-life care and strategies for supporting the delivery of culturally sensitive care. #058

This session focuses on the specialized care within an inpatient hospice setting and differentiates it from end-of-life care in other settings. #043

Participants will learn about the impact of chronic illness and pain, and interventions to improve patient function and quality of life. #tbd

Attendees will learn interventions that may be used for symptom management with dementia patients as well as self-care interventions and their benefits. #057

The purpose of this session is to provide education regarding recommendations for wound care at end of life. Participants will be able to identify when aggressive treatment of wounds is futile, understand the importance of establishing goals of wound care with the patient/caregiver, and explore current products that can best meet the needs of the patient/caregiver. #109

The purpose of this activity is to provide education on current pain management modalities. Participants will be able to understand pain as it relates to chronic or acute pain and nociceptive or neuropathic pain, demonstrate knowledge of a comprehensive pain assessment, and recognize side effects of pain medications and identify interventions to help alleviate them. #108

Participants will be able to identify indicators of substance misuse, the role of grief, loss and shame in substance use, implications for pain management, and intervention strategies. #tbd

Participants will improve their skills in assessing and treating pain in non-verbal patients. #028

This interactive presentation is designed for mental health professionals and counseling staff. It is available in a minimum 90-minute format. The workshop provides an overview of types of trauma and the identifiable behaviors associated with traumatic emotional injury in children. The presentation offers key steps in differentiating grief from trauma and outlines best practices to respond to both. #tbd

As a patient or resident nears end of his life the caregiver’s role shifts and becomes more complicated – medically, professionally and emotionally. Focuses on the issues that arise for caregivers as they journey with dying residents and the effect repeated loss has on the caregiver. How to access better support and care for themselves. #tbd

Participants will learn strategies for establishing rapport with anxious and resistant people and engage them in care. #023

This presentation will focus on strategies for having conversations about care preferences including phrases to use to assess patient understanding about their health, what quality of life means to them and how they want to be cared for if they have a life limiting illness. #tbd

Participants will learn how to address common challenges faced by the families of older adults, with a focus on dementia. #039

This presentation provides information on the impact of dementia on a person’s ability to interact with others, strategies to decrease behavior triggers, and ways to engage the person in meaningful activities. Non-CE

One of the most important tasks we have as we age is coming to an understanding of the impact we have had on others, how we will be remembered, and what we are leaving for the next generation. #056

Interactive presentation/workshop for all professionals who encounter people in difficult, anxiety-producing circumstances. Learn to re-visualize tense encounters, strategies to ‘turn down the volume,’ ease stress and get communication back on track. #tbd

Participants will learn how to have conversations with patients and families so that their choices will be honored in the event of incapacity. Planning tools will be identified and used in this session. #018

Ethical issues are inherent in care provided to patients and families facing the end of life. Participants will learn how to be better advocates for patients and to use professional codes and standards in ethics. #004

Moral distress is the leading cause of burnout in health care.  This session will help participants develop strategies for approaching complex cases, improve outcomes and reduce clinician distress through the use of ethical frameworks, case consultation and ethics committees. #102

This session focuses on Five Wishes, the first living will that outlines personal, emotional and spiritual needs as well as medical wishes. The Five Wishes lets patients dictate exactly how they wish to be treated if they get seriously ill. #Non-CE

Participants will learn how to have conversations with patients and their legal representatives regarding end-of-life care decisions and to put their preferences into actionable orders. #008

Participants will learn the differences and benefits of these related types of care, who can benefit, ways to approach discussions about care preferences, and the best time to make a referral. #027

Participants will learn to identify physical, emotional and environmental triggers and learn effective care giving strategies. #007

Participants will better understand communication barriers posed by dementia and how to overcome them through changes in communication and behavioral and sensory interventions. #012

Participants will learn to distinguish between normal cognitive changes in aging and many types of brain disorders. Current research about risk reduction will be explained. #041

People with dementia may be subjected to burdensome medical interventions. This session focuses on ways to promote their comfort until the end of life through best care practices. #020

This presentation provides staff with creative approaches to bathing with a focus on patient comfort and strategies for responding to patient fear and resistance to care. #tbd

The purpose of this program is to educate professionals about the challenging issues of intimacy and sexuality that pertain to people with dementia and their caregivers. #009

Upon completion of the program, nurses will be able to accurately identify when to administer anti-psychotic medications in elders with dementia after intervening with non-drug strategies and only when therapeutically necessary. #010

The purpose of this activity is to increase the knowledge of clinical and non-clinical staff on strategies to comfort and counsel bereaved people. #002

This presentation is available in two formats: for the bereaved or for those who encounter/coach/treat bereaved families through the grief process. The presentation focuses on the bereaved marriage and ways we can help families to recognize the ways that grief affects each of them differently. Finally, new ways of connecting and fostering real, meaningful communication will be discussed. This workshop focuses on marital issues and includes relationships with surviving children. #tbd

Participants will learn strategies for coping with the stress of being a professional care giver, including signs of compassion fatigue and approaches to creative self-care. #022

Grievers, and those who care for them, often feel exhausted and empty, wondering what to rely on in the darkest times. To steal from Shakespeare, “The[answer]lies not in the stars, but in ourselves…” We’ll discover how the best things about ourselves can get us through the worst of times. #tbd

Consultation and support to any school community facing a critical incident related to illness, injury or death. To assist school personnel with crisis management at all levels, from administrative decisions and actions to classroom interventions. We can provide parent or community meetings as necessary or provide preparation and support for those facilitating the meetings. In addition, we are available after the incident to facilitate de-fusing interventions for staff – to aid in minimizing stress and encouraging appropriate communication and support and effective self-care. #tbd

Rainbow offers consultation with employers related to how to handle workplace environments after a death. This service also includes immediate intervention at the workplace (for example, death of an employee) to assist employees and/or educational presentations for managers on Supporting the Grieving Employee. #tbd

This presentation is designed for school staff, youth leaders and mental health professionals and offered in a minimum 90-minute format. The workshop identifies diverse experiences that can cause a grief response in children. The seven steps to building resilience are outlined along with helpful interventions and activities that foster and support resilience. #tbd

As the number of communities feeling the effect of opiate overdoses grows, mental health professionals are faced with how best to work with surviving family members. This session will provide an understanding of issues specific to bereavement when a loved one dies from drug overdose. Understand how to assess and treat such clients appropriately and compassionately. Small group exercises and case discussion will be integrated throughout the presentation. #tbd

This presentation is for individuals or organizations that provide assistance and have found that public tragedies can overlay and exacerbate the issues that the people they serve are dealing with. This presentation provides an overview and deeper understanding of how public events can affect us personally.

While there are well-established emergency and disaster plans and trained personnel available to most communities, this workshop is informational and helpful to those in a helping and supportive role – or until the trained responders arrive. This workshop provides an explanation of the steps and examples of how to execute them for a timely and effective response. If providing emergency response is a goal for an organization, formal training in critical incident management is strongly recommended. #tbd

An educational module for healthcare professionals who encounter children during the end-of-life experience of a loved one. Empowers staff to aid families walk with children through a difficult and confusing time. Helpful interventions from less than 5 to 45 minutes in length; based on the belief that there is always some time and some way to help. #tbd