Loretta Downs in Touched by a Butterfly DVD
Touched by a Butterfly is a documentary film by artists Cindy and Kirby Pringle (http://www.dogtownartworks.com/site/About_Us.html), and Monarch Butterfly conservationists. The 29-minute film shows butterflies as symbols of hope and joy, in life and after death. The film features 8 people describing their spiritual experiences with butterflies: Randy Hauser, Holly Borukhovich, Heidi Richter, Dr. Sally Foote, Rev. Kenneth Roedder, Rowena Gates, Kim Saari and Loretta Downs.
Order the DVD for $13 including S & H: http://www.
Loretta Downs featured in Guadalajara Reporter
Loretta Downs was recently featured in an article in the Guadalajara Reporter. The article is entitled, “Death & dying: spreading a positive message”.
“Downs believes that there is bliss to be found at the end of life. ‘Some of us have a choice to leave behind a legacy of peacefulness by dying well. I’ve witnessed many people embody this peacefulness at the end of their lives. The Buddhists talk about right action and right speech. I talk about right death. It’s an individual decision but we all need to be talking about it and making dying a significant part of life.'”
WATCH: The Five Wishes, an Advance Healthcare Planning Tool and How it Can Change Your Future
Advance Healthcare Planning has evolved from being a casual part of an estate plan to becoming a lifelong practice and medical necessity. It is a personally transformative process that increases the likelihood of having a gentle death. The Five Wishes is a helpful tool for exercising control over your end-of-life care. These wishes will clarify who and what matters most to you when you reach the end of the life line.
Order The Five Wishes at www.agingwithdignity.org and get your state-specific statutory advance directive form at www.caringinfo.org.
Huffington Post Article Exemplifies the Chrysalis Room Concept
This story is an example of the positive effect that offering a private room with space and peace and comfort for loved ones to support a person who is dying can be transformative. This is the essence of eating sacred space for dying. This is the essence of the Chrysalis Room concept.
Death Expo 2016 is November 10-13
Loretta Downs will speak at Death Expo 2016, which will be held November 10-13. The virtual conference is a four day educational event featuring 12 speakers.
View the transcript of Loretta’s appearance at Death Expo 2016 (PDF) »
Daily Southtown: TEDx speakers share wisdom at Tinley library event
The Daily Southtown has published an article highlighting the TEDx event that Loretta Downs spoke at on October 12, 2016. The event was held at the Tinley Park Library.
Loretta’s talk was entitled “The Mysterious Metamorphosis at the End of Life” and was about ways the dying and their families can come to the best possible end-of-life experiences.
GeriPal: Palliative Care Consultations in Nursing Homes
GeriPal, a geriatrics and palliative care blog, has posted an article entitled “Palliative Care Consultations in Nursing Homes: It Can (and Should) Be Done”.
The study compared 477 nursing home residents who died between 2006 to 2010 with initial palliative care consultations within 180 days of death against 1,174 propensity score–matched controls that did not receive these consultations from the same nursing homes.
It concludes by saying, “Taking all of this data as a whole, it’s encouraging to see that palliative care can actually work in community nursing homes.”
End-of-Life Project Creates Room for Compassion at Carilion Giles Community Hospital
The Compassion Room at Carilion Giles Community Hospital is meant to help patients at the end-of-life and their families be more comfortable during this tender time. The new room was dedicated on Aug. 25 with a ceremony and reception for employees recognizing the CGCH Auxiliary, which funded the project for $10,000.
Chrysalis Room Featured in North West Evening Mail (UK)
The new Chrysalis Room at Furness General Hospital in Barrow-in-Furness, England, has been featured in the North West Evening Mail newspaper.
The hospital’s Ward Nine manager Michelle Mclaughlin is quoted as saying, “We are seeing more patients choosing to be nursed on Ward Nine as their preferred place of care when approaching end of life.”