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FORUM 2015Key Theme:DYING TO TALK? - CONVERSATIONSABOUT END OF LIFE IN IRELAND

10th September 2015 Dublin Castle, Dublin 2

FORUM 2015

GUEST SPEAKERS:

It is organised by the National Council of theForum on End of Life in Ireland which was formedin July 2010 following an extensive year-longpublic consultation. So, you could say that theForum was founded on a conversation – a nationalconversation – about what mattered most to Irishpeople about end of life.  

A work plan was developed to address the issuesraised. This plan includes the Think Ahead project,aimed at encouraging Irish people to talk aboutwhat their preferences are around end of life and totell those close to them. This is a conversation wecould all benefit from having.

This is the fourth Forum event and, as always, itpresents a valuable opportunity to feedbackprogress being made and some guidance forfuture work.

DEATH CAFÉAt a Death Café people gather to eat cake,drink tea and discuss death.

Founded by Jon Underwood and based on thework of Bernard Crettaz the Death Caféobjective is ‘to increase awareness of death witha view to helping people make the most of their(finite) lives’.

At Forum 2015 we have set aside time todiscuss death without expectations in an open,respectful and confidential space where peoplecan express their views safely.

2 FORUM 2015 - DY ING TO TALK?

DR KATHERINE SLEEMAN,Lecturer in Palliative Medicine, Kings College London

“Let’s talk about death.”Katherine is a clinical doctor andacademic in palliative medicine. She has degrees indevelopmental biology and medicine (UniversityCollege London), and a PhD in cancer biology(Institute of Cancer Research, London). Katherinecurrently works at King’s College London’s CicelySaunders Institute where she uses national datasetsto investigate patterns of care at the end of life,particularly in the elderly and frail. Through herclinical and academic work, Katherine aims toimprove the quality of life for people who are dying.

Katherine writes, speaks, and tweets about deathand dying for academic and general audiences. herpresentation will explore the meaning of a gooddeath, and the individual and societal barriers toachieving this.

THE MARY HOLLAND COMMEMORATIVELECTURE in memory of the former Irish Timesjournalist and campaigner for social justice. (inassociation with the Irish Times and the IrishHospice Foundation)

MICK HEANEY is radio columnistfor The Irish Times and a regularcontributor to the paper’s Artspages. As a journalist andbroadcaster, he has extensivelycovered all aspects of cultural issuesover the past 20 years for a variety of publicationsand programmes, including RTÉ 1’s arts magazineThe Works. he is a son of the late poet and Nobellaureate Seamus heaney.

SENATOR MARIE LOUISEO’DONNELL is an independentmember of Seanad Éireann havingbeen appointed by the Taoiseachin 2011. An experiencedbroadcaster, television presenterand writer, marie Louise writes and delivers a popularweekly colour piece for RTÉ Radio 1 on the Todaywith Sean O’Rourke programme and is a regularreviewer and media commentator on Tonight withVincent Browne on TV3. She is a former lecturer inthe School of Communications in Dublin CityUniversity. In the Seanad marie Louise devised andmoved a Private member’s motion calling for anoverarching strategy to address the societal issuesarising from end of life and bereavement which wasaccepted by the Government.

Conversations around death are never easy. But they need to be encouraged. This is the aim ofForum 2015 which has the theme: Dying to talk? – Conversations about end of life in Ireland.  All of the Forum speakers and events centre round the importance of talking and listening.

PROGRAMME

CONVERSAT IONS ABOUT END OF L I FE IN I RELAND 3

8.15 Registration & Refreshments9.00 Musical Introduction9.10 Opening Address

mrs Justice Catherine mcGuinness, Chair, National Council of the Forum on end of Life in Ireland

9.20 Keynote Presentation: “Let’s talk about death”Dr Katherine Sleeman, Lecturer in Palliative medicine, Kings College London

9.50 Mary Holland Commemorative Lecture: (in association with the Irish hospice Foundation and the IrishTimes) mick heaney, Journalist

10.20 Think Ahead Progress Report: Sarah murphy, manager, Think Ahead Research & Development

10.25 My Conversations…One family’s experience of using the Think Ahead tool to guide their personal conversations.

10.35 Refreshments & Death Café11.20 Musical Reflection11.30 Panel Presentation and discussion: Conversations about…

Chair: Claire Byrne – RTÉ• Death, Grief and the media: Matt Cooper, Journalist & Broadcaster • how communities can support a good death: Jim Rhatigan, Milford Care Centre• Talking with your GP: Dr Ciara Kelly, GP• Conversations in the emergency Room: Prof Patrick Plunkett, St James’s Hospital• yOUR conversation. What do yOU want to say? Dr Brendan O’Shea, Trinity College Dublin

1.15 Lunch2.15 Workshops: Exploring conversations in more detail:

A. Conversations at End of Life - maintaining hope to the end. Bryan Nolan, The Irish hospice FoundationIn this session we will focus on how we can get to a place after a loved one has died where we can lookback without regret, knowing that everything that needed to be said was said and everything that neededto be done was done. B. Good Grief – how to facilitate a therapeutic conversation. Dr Susan Delaney, The Irish hospice Foundation This workshop will focus on empathic strategies to facilitate the grief process.

C. My Conversations - thinking and planning ahead, ‘Think Ahead’ & the legislation on capacityPatricia Rickard Clarke, The National Council of the Forum on end of Life in Ireland. Aine mcCambridge, Development Officer, Think Ahead A two part workshop focussing on the personal conversation we need to have using the Think Ahead toolfollowed by an explanation of the updated legislation on capacity issues.

D. Would you like to be buried with my people? – Everything you ever wanted to know aboutfunerals but were afraid to ask.Graham Gleasure, Irish Association of Funeral Directors & Gleasure Funeral homeDavid Fanagan, Fanagan’s Funeral DirectorsA 2014 survey shows that 57% of Irish people have discussed their funeral – have you? Will your funeralreflect who you are or represent someone else’s wishes altogether? This workshop will allow room to discussevery aspect of funerals with a view to demystifying the process and the many decisions to be made.

3.15 A Carers’ view: Tom Curran, Advocate for carers’ rights

3.25 Address: Senator marie Louise O’Donnell will take a personal and professional look at how dying,death and bereavement are our responsibility as human beings and citizens of the state.

3.55 Dr Geoff King Remembered: Professor Gerard Bury, Professor of General Practice, UCD School Ofmedicine & medical Science, Coombe healthcare Centre

4.05 Closing remarks 4.15 MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

4.30 Close

BOOKING FORMEarly booking is recommended as previous Forums have sold out.Online booking available at: www.hospicefoundation.ie/shop

(Payment must be made at time of booking for online registrations)

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*Workshops: (please choose one)I would like to attend the following workshop: (please note that while we will do our best to accommodate you inthe workshop of your choice we cannot guarantee to do so.)

A. Conversations at End of Life - maintaining hope to the end

B. Good Grief - how to facilitate a therapeutic conversation

C. My conversations - thinking and planning ahead, ‘Think Ahead’ & the legislation on capacity

D. Would you like to be buried with my people? – Everything you ever wanted to know aboutfunerals but were afraid to ask

Cost: (includes lunch and refreshments)Standard Rate: €60

Concessionary Rate: Please contact 01 679 3188 for availability

Late Comers Rate: €70 (a late booking charge will apply to all bookings after 26th August 2015)

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Please send your form to:National Council of the Forum on End of Life4th Floor morrison Chambers, 32 Nassau Street, Dublin 2Queries to: + 353 1 6793188 or aedamar.torpey@hospicefoundation.ie

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CANCeLLATION POLICy: No refund for cancellations advised less than 3 weeks prior to conferenceProfessional accreditation under application from all relevant professional bodies