Representatives of NASW recently attended Dignity & Choices:  A Symposium on End-of-Life Advocacy. Held October 13- 14, 2009, in Washington, D.C., the symposium was organized by Compassion & Choices, a leading organization in the choices-in-dying movement.

The core objective of the symposium was to equip health care professionals with accurate information to address the current health care reform debate, with particular emphasis on the importance of consistent practice methods and messages in end-of-life care.

Workshop highlights included:

• Expert recommendations on advocacy strategies to refute “death panel” claims;
• Clarification on the end-of-life counseling reimbursement proposal in the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R.  3200, sec. 1233, 2009);
• The impact of the health care professionals’ conscience regulations on patients’ end-of-life rights;
• The differences between hospice and palliative care ; and
• The importance of education and training for health care professionals in end-of-life counseling.

Plenary sessions included talks by Jacque D’Amboise, founder of the National Dance Institute and world-renowned ballet dancer; Dr. Elmer Huerta, former president of the American Cancer Society; and Jane Brody, New York Times columnist.

Additional information and professional resources:

NASW’s Specialty Credentials in Hospice and Palliative Care:

http://www.socialworkers.org/credentials/default.asp

NASW’s Standards for Social Work Practice in Palliative and End of Life Care:

http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/bereavement/standards/default.asp

NASW Director’s article ‘Death Panel’ Rhetoric Sets Us Back

http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/news/2009/10/clark.asp