I'm writing about Engage With Grace: The One Slide Project, first brought to my attention by Laurie Edwards.
Laurie is the author of a book called "Life Disrupted: Getting Real About Chronic Illness in Your Twenties and Thirties".
She also writes a blog called A Chronic Dose: A Chronic Illness Blog .
Listen to Alexandra Drane:
Engage with Grace from Health 2.0 on Vimeo.
See newspaper articles about the Engage with Grace campaign:
The Boston Globe's November 26, 2008 article: "Talking turkey about death: Bloggers urge a holiday confab on terminal care"
USA Today's November 30, 2008 article: "The end-of-life discussion can be made easier"
The ultimate goal is to get people talking about end of life decisions.
After reading Laurie Edwards' post, I was inspired to join the blogger rally for this cause.
A couple of days later I discovered another post about this issue. It was written by MJ of Rhymes With Migraine. I'm thankful that MJ's post reminded me about my intention to join the rally of bloggers around the world writing about this important topic.
The following was written by Alexandra Drane and the Engage with Grace team. To learn more, please visit Engage With Grace: The One Slide Project
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.
To learn more please go to Engage With Grace: The One Slide Project.
Thank you Laurie and MJ for bringing this campaign to my attention.
This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.
2 comments:
Gosh, it's never too early to start thinking about this, eh? But saves a lot of headaches down the road for those left behind.
Jannie,
I think this story really resonates because she was so young when she passed on. I think it goes to show that you just never know what will happen and when.
Having recently watched close friends making arrangements following a death in the family, I agree with you that planning ahead most definitely makes it easier on the loved ones who are left behind.
Jeanne
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