Wednesday, November 26, 2008

engage with grace


The end-of-year holidays are traditionally a time for us to give thanks, and enjoy the company of our friends and family. This year, I'm joining health bloggers around the world to promote the One Slide Project from Engage with Grace.

If you're like me, you're not clear on the end-of-life wishes of your loved ones. Maybe you're not even sure of your own wishes. Engage with Grace is encouraging people everywhere to initiate this very important conversation at a time of year when loved ones are at the forefront of our minds. The following was written by Alexandra Drane and the Engage with Grace team. To learn more, please visit www.engagewithgrace.org.

(Thanks to Laurie at A Chronic Dose for bringing this to my attention.)

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Engage with Grace: The One Slide project

We make choices throughout our lives - where we want to live, what types of activities will fill our days, with whom we spend our time. These choices are often a balance between our desires and our means, but at the end of the day, they are decisions made with intent. But when it comes to how we want to be treated at the end our lives, often we don't express our intent or tell our loved ones about it.

This has real consequences. 73% of Americans would prefer to die at home, but up to 50% die in hospital. More than 80% of Californians say their loved ones know exactly or have a good idea of what their wishes would be if they were in a persistent coma, but only 50% say they've talked to them about their preferences.

But our end of life experiences are about a lot more than statistics. They're about all of us. So the first thing we need to do is start talking.

Engage With Grace: The One Slide Project was designed with one simple goal: to help get the conversation about end of life experience started. The idea is simple: Create a tool to help get people talking. One Slide, with just five questions on it. Five questions designed to help get us talking with each other, with our loved ones, about our preferences. And we're asking people to share this One Slide wherever and whenever they can ... at a presentation, at dinner, at their book club. Just One Slide, just five questions.

Let's start a global discussion that, until now, most of us haven't had.

Here is what we are asking you: Download The One Slide and share it at any opportunity with colleagues, family, friends. Think of the slide as currency and donate just two minutes whenever you can. Commit to being able to answer these five questions about end of life experience for yourself, and for your loved ones. Then commit to helping others do the same. Get this conversation started.

Let's start a viral movement driven by the change we as individuals can effect...and the incredibly positive impact we could have collectively. Help ensure that all of us - and the people we care for - can end our lives in the same purposeful way we live them.

Just One Slide, just one goal. Think of the enormous difference we can make together.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am finally behind the keyboard again and doing my 'rounds' - I'm glad you posted about this because I neglected to follow up when Laurie first mentioned it.

This is a tough issue and one I visit regularly, yet still haven't committed to. Perhaps a New Year Resolution I can do for my family that will stick better than if I were just doing it for me?

Thanks for the reminder ~ hope you're doing well

Anonymous said...

this is a great reminder. I've been having this conversation slowly over a number of years with my parents. but it's good to keep checking in with them because their wishes can change. Now I need to have this conversation with myself and my partner.

Jeanne said...

MJ,

Thanks for visiting my blog. That brought me here.

I have been connected with you on Facebook (thanks to having Laurie Edwards as a common FB friend, I believe) but now I'm happily visiting on your blog itself. :)

Thank you so much for posting this. I had seen Laurie Edwards' amazing blog post about this and have been meaning to write a post myself. (You may have seen the comment I posted to her article on this topic).

I had added the 'Engage with Grace' slideshow to my Facebook profile to remind me to post on it (after Laurie had posted about it on FB) but haven't gotten to writing my post as of yet!

THANKS for the reminder that I need to do this as soon as possible.

Having attended a wake & funeral the weekend after Thanksgiving this year and then reading Laurie's post after getting back home from it, her post really hit me and reinforced the importance of understanding loved one's wishes.

My husband and I had discussed these issues the day of the funeral... but we plan to continue that conversation. This program has helped us realize just how important it is to do that.

Thank you for the reminder with this post!!

Jeanne

Jeanne said...

MJ,

I just posted about this. I didn't realize there was a video until I looked very closely at their site.

I linked back to you.

Jeanne

Jeanne said...

MJ,

It posted and then disappeared. Blogger appears to be having problems. I don't have your email address to send it that way but I'll post that article as soon as Blogger will let me.

Sorry for the confusion. It looks like Blogger either has servers down or they are doing maintenance because I had lots of trouble saving and then it "un-published" after I just just seen it there. I've never seen that happen.

Your blog seems to be working OK, though...

Jeanne

Debbie said...

MJ, Rosalind's book got buried on my desk. Please give me your snail mail address and I will send it to you. Oh, would you please update your links to my blg: www.amigraineur.wordpress.com Thanks.

Maureen Hayes said...

MJ,

I just nominated you for the "Superior Scribbler" award. I don't have a valid e-mail address for you, so I am notifying you here. Please check out my website for more info and to claim your prize and pass it along!

Have a wonderful holiday!

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