Title: Buddhist Perspectives on Care at the End-Of-Life

Title: Buddhist Perspectives on Care at the End-of-Life

Educational Objectives

• Provide an introduction to Buddhism that will include how Buddhism began, where it is practiced, how it has spread in America, and the major branches of Buddhism.

• Describe foundational Buddhist beliefs that care providers should understand for providing spiritually competent care at the end of life.

• Examine common Buddhist practices and rituals across traditions that have relevance to end of life care.

• Highlight implications for compassionate care across the dying trajectory, including additional considerations for care receivers who are Buddhist.

Description:

Death is the most crucial moment of our lives, and each and every one of us should be able to die in peace and fulfillment, knowing that we will be surrounded by the best in spiritual care.” (Sogyal Rinpoche)

Buddhism is the fastest growing religion in the United States and increasing numbers of persons residing in the country have adopted foundational Buddhist beliefs, including many who practice other forms of religion. Regardless of one’s personal spiritual orientation, Buddhist philosophy, psychology and teachings about death and dying offer valuable perspectives for professional caregivers. From Buddhist philosophy and teachings handed down through the centuries has come a sophisticated understanding of the subtle stages of the dying process and what care providers and family members can and should do to promote the most optimal outcomes for patients at the end of life. Understanding foundational Buddhist beliefs and the diversity in practices and rituals across traditions is necessary to provide culturally and spiritually competently end-of-life care for the growing number of U.S. Buddhists and those who hold Buddhist beliefs. This session will review the historical perspective of Buddhism in America, describe foundational Buddhist beliefs, practices and rituals relevant to the living, dying and death, and describe practical advice for compassionate care across the dying trajectory.

Betty Kramer, PhD, MSW

Professor of Social Work

University of Wisconsin, Madison

School of Social Work

1350 University Ave.

Madison, WI 53706

(608)

Biography

Dr. Betty Kramer, Professor University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Social Work

Dr. Betty Kramer is a Professor in the School of Social Work and a member of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Professor Kramer is a nationally recognized gerontology researcher, scholar and educator. Her research has strengthened understanding of male caregivers, caregiving gains, transitions in the caregiving career, and the distinctive nature of end-of-life caregiving. She co-edited a volume entitled Men as Caregivers: Theory, Research, and Service Implications (2002), and has written with Dr. Nancy Hooyman, the first evidence-based textbook to profile grief and bereavement interventions for human service professionals entitled Living through Loss: Interventions across the Life-Span (2006). With her colleagues, she established competencies and a national research agenda for social work research in palliative and end-of-life care. As the recipient of two national awards, the John A. Hartford Foundation Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar Award, and the Project on Death in America Social Work Leadership Development Award, Dr. Kramer has received support to implement several projects relevant to improving palliative care. She is a faculty member and mentor of a National Cancer Institute training grant titled. Transdisciplinary Palliative Care Education for Social Workers, Psychologists and Chaplains (Principal Investigator: Shirley Otis-Greene). As a Fellow of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, Dr. Kramer has developed curriculum to highlight the importance of mindfulness for compassionate and ethically based social action, examine theory, research and practice related to the use of meditation as a therapeutic intervention, and review mindfulness methods for professional self-awareness and self-care. She has 28 years of experience with various forms of meditation, a long standing interest in Eastern perspectives on mental health, and is a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. Dr. Kramer is the mid-west facilitator for the Conscious End-of-Life Training Program. Recent awards include the Alumni Fellows Award, University of Louisville (2004); the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGE-SW) Faculty Achievement Award (2004), and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Distinguished Researcher Award (2008).