Programs and Education

Our continuing education programs

• Unmasking the Mysteries (1.5  CE)
  This program discusses everything   related to funerals including  options, costs, grief, and more. This class offers attendees the  opportunity to view videos of the casket/urn display room, a  demonstration of a Private Family Gathering method of body identification, and a cremation witness/observation experience.
  
  
• Best Practices for Advance Directives and Being Prepared (1.0  CE)
  This program discusses how to structure Advance Directives to  benefit the family most, as well as a number of other legal and formal documents that help families in the event of an emergency or change in a loved one’s health status or situation.
  
  
• Understanding Grief for the Healthcare Professional (1.0  CE)
  This program covers how healthcare professionals cope with the loss of patients/residents/clients, how to support a family who is grieving, and how to recognize and manage compassion fatigue.
  
  
• Ethical Issues at the End of Life (1.0  CE including ethics)
  This program discusses basic ethical issues in hospice and palliative care, as well as futility, advance directives, and ethical issues in the funeral home.
  
  
• Cultural Considerations at the End of Life (1.0 CE)
  This program looks at cultural considerations at the end of life based on religion, ethnicity, and economic standing.
  
  
• What Happens When There is No Money (1.0  CE)
  This program looks at all of the resources available to families  who are financially challenged.   Healthcare professionals will have a much better understanding of the choices families have available to them, as well as the circumstances surrounding and in response to each of those decisions.
  
  
• Disenfranchised Grief – The Unspoken Losses (1.0  CE)
  This program examines the causes of Disenfranchised Grief with specific examples, as well as ways we can help support those who might  be experiencing Disenfranchised Grief.
  
  
• Anticipatory Grief – Understanding the Losses Before the Loss (1.0  CE)
  This class reviews the sources of Anticipatory Grief, the  emotions associated with Anticipatory Grief, and the resources available to individuals as well as families who might be experiencing Anticipatory Grief.
  
  
• Coffee and Cremation  (1.5 CE)
  This program explores all that is involved in conducting a cremation.  It includes a video tour of the cremation observation and urn rooms, as well as a video demonstration of the Private Family Gathering method of body identification.  Participants learn about the rules and  regulations governing cremation in Ohio and nationally.  There will also  be information about pet cremations as well as an exploration of all  the options available to families for cremated remains.
  
  
• Grief Pain:  The Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Responses to Loss (1.0 CE)
  Everyone grieves differently, in the own way and in their own time.  Some may experience feelings more than just sadness.  This program examines all of the different ways people may experience pain from loss.
  
  
• Complicated Grief in a Complicated World (1.0 CE)
  The pandemic affected the way could express their grief and pain after a loss.  Many could not be with their loved ones as they lay dying in hospitals or care centers, resulting in more incidence of complicated grief.  This program examines signs and symptoms of Complicated Grief, as well as possible strategies for coping.
  
  
• The Effects of Social Isolation Related to Loss (1.0 CE)
  Safe social distancing, quarantines, and stay-at-home orders exacerbated an already lonely and socially isolated population.  However, the pandemic brought to light the severity of the problem.  This program looks at causes of social isolation and loneliness as well as possible ways of increasing our connections, both in-person and virtually.
  
  
• Dying, Death, and Bereavement in a Digital World (1.0 CE including ethics)
  This program examines all ways we have incorporated the digital world in the ways we cope with dying, death, and bereavement.
   
• Non-Death Loss and its Implications with Cognitive Impairment (1.0 CE)
  This program examines the various types of non-death losses, various types of cognitive impairment, and how people respond to non-death losses related to cognitive impairment. While disenfranchised grief and anticipatory grief may also be part of the equation, this class looks at ways to support this unique population of grievers.
  
  
• The Words We Use:  Communicating End-of-Life (1.0 CE)
  This program examines the relationship between language, perceptions, attitudes, and health outcomes.  It includes information on language sensitivity and barriers to communication.
  
  
• That Taboo Topic: Conversations about Funeral Wishes (1.0 CE)
  Talking about death is never easy. However, advance planning for funeral/memorial services can only happen if families start talking about it before death. Those conversations, while difficult at the time, help reduce stress for survivors when making arrangements at the time of need. This program will discuss ways to help start those important conversations as well as what can be planned in advance.

If you are interested in having one or more of these programs presented to your staff/volunteers, please call Julie Olds at 614-370-9960.