Sponsors & Partners
"Dying is living; know your choices in how to live"
Dixcy Bosley, Iona Senior Services, Self Described "Death Activist"
A two part event exploring options for use in planning your or a loved one's future.
An Overview of End-of-Life Planning Issues and Options
This April 7th, 2022 event presented on Zoom provided a high level view of what we should think about when contemplating our end-of-life.
Susan Mann Flanders
Susan Mann Flanders is a retired Episcopal priest who currently works with parishioners at St. Columba's Episcopal Church in Washington, DC on issues surrounding end-of-life spirituality, choices, and care. She served as Associate Rector at St Mark's Church on Capitol Hill, and as Rector of St. John's Norwood Parish in Chevy Chase, MD. Her book If I Ever Lose My Mind/Aid in Dying with Advanced Dementia was published in 2018.
Session Synopsis
In this session, Susan Flanders drew on her family and church experience to, for example, suggest ways to engage family members in end of life discussions or how to help people with dementia to avoid a bad death.
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Dixcy Bosley
Dixcy is a geriatric nurse care manager and a nurse-practitioner at Iona Senior Services. She’s spent the last 30+ years developing wellness programs, raising a family, caring for her own aging parents, and advocating for informed end-of life care in various community settings. She has been a hospice nurse and refers to herself as an “End of Life Activist.” Dixcy graduated from Catholic University’s Family Nurse Practitioner program in 1997. She later taught community health nursing at Iona. Dixcy is also a member of the Aging Life Care Association.
Session Synopsis
In this session, Dixcy Bosley shared the practical approaches and wisdom about medicine and dying from her years advising older people about end stage medicine and hospice.
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Liz Gregg
Liz Gregg is a clinical social worker and Capitol Hill Village's Director of Care Services. Most recently Liz served as the Program Services Coordinator for DC's Aging and Community Living's Safe at Home program, which focuses on helping seniors and disabled adults overcome mobility challenges and improving quality of life through improved accessibility. She has been an Advisory Committee member to the Director DC's Department of Aging and Community Living LGBTQ Committee, completed coursework for an End-of-Life Social Work certificate, and is certified as an End of Life Doula (aka Death Doula).
Session Synopsis
In this session, Liz Gregg gave clear guidance about how to understand and use palliative care and hospice care.
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Judy Berman
Capitol Hill Village Executive Director
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How to Prepare For Your End-of-Life
View professionally recorded morning talks and afternoon workshops which provided more information for planning one’s end of life. This all-day event, held on June 9th, 2022, took place at Martha’s Table.
Dixcy Bosley
Dixcy is a geriatric nurse care manager and a nurse-practitioner at Iona Senior Services. She’s spent the last 30+ years developing wellness programs, raising a family, caring for her own aging parents, and advocating for informed end-of life care in various community settings. She has been a hospice nurse and refers to herself as an “End of Life Activist.” Dixcy graduated from Catholic University’s Family Nurse Practitioner program in 1997. She later taught community health nursing at Iona. Dixcy is also a member of the Aging Life Care Association.
Session Synopsis
In this session, Dixcy Bosley shared the practical approaches and wisdom about medicine and dying from her years advising older people about end stage medicine and hospice.
Click Below To View The Session Recording
Donna Gayles
Donna Gayles is the Director of Client Relations and Associate Director of the Center for Health Equity for Capital Caring Health. She has focused on Long Term Care, Faith Based and Community Organization Connections, Outreach and Health Equity Initiatives. She calls herself “an ordinary woman” with a passion to spread “the hope of hospice” to all who need it.
Session Synopsis
In this session, Donna Gayles told us about hospice from her work for hospice provider Capital Caring and from the experience of family and friends, illuminating her passionate view that “hospice is living”.
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Donna Smith
Donna Smith is the Diversity and Inclusion Advisor for Compassion and Choices and State Director for DC and Maryland. She led the campaign for Death with Dignity legislation in both DC and Maryland. Previously, Donna was the Chief of Policy and Community Programs at the Maryland Department of Aging, and was detailed to work on the White House Conference on Aging. She is a graduate of George Washington Law School.
Session Synopsis
In this session, Donna Smith helped us understand the value of Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) and some of the challenges in using it.
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Session Resources
Medical Aide in Dying is not Suicide One Pager: https://capitolhillvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Compassion-and-Choices-Medical-Aide-in-Dying-is-not-Suicide.pdf
Directly Input Your Information onto this Form (Fillable PDF): https://capitolhillvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/My-End-of-Life-Decisions-Guide-FILLABLE-ONLINE-FINAL-1.19.21.pdf
Death With Dignity Act FAQ: https://capitolhillvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/DC-Death-with-Dignity-ACT-FAQs.pdf
Capitol Hill Village Members Sheridan Harvey, Ann Manheimer, and Leanna Fenske
Be introduced to the Capitol Hill Village program designed to help you move through the process of documenting the details of your “personal affairs,” also known as your “papers”. Learn about building a notebook for your family/caretakers to use to help you when you need help and then after your death.
Contact Arie Parker to learn more about or sign up for the GYPIO program, contact aparker@capitolhillvillage.org.
Session Synopsis
In this session, Sheridan Harvey and colleagues in the GYPIO workshop talked about the valuable CHV small groups that guided and encouraged participants to get going on a long list of necessary papers for use by your family and friends.
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Gina Lynn
Gina practices law on Capitol Hill specializing in wills, trusts, and probate. As a result of more than 25 years of an active court practice, Ms. Lynn has acquired a real world perspective on drafting documents and advising clients.
Session Synopsis
In this session, Gina Lynn led a discussion of the nature and purpose of many documents for End of Life.
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Session Resources
Sample Financial Powers of Attorney & Health Care Powers of Attorney: https://capitolhillvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sample-Powers-of-Attorney-for-Health-care-and-Financial-matters-Gina-Lynn-June-9-2022.pdf
Safeguarding Your Legal Documents Handout: https://capitolhillvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Safeguarding-your-legal-documents.pdf
Full Presentation Slides: https://capitolhillvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Legal-Tools-for-End-of-Life-Gina-Lynn-6-9-2022.pdf
Fillable MOST Form: https://capitolhillvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/FINAL-MOST-Fillable-Form-V2-08182021.pdf
Donna Smith
Donna Smith is the Diversity and Inclusion Advisor for Compassion and Choices and State Director for DC and Maryland. She led the campaign for Death with Dignity legislation in both DC and Maryland. Previously, Donna was the Chief of Policy and Community Programs at the Maryland Department of Aging, and was detailed to work on the White House Conference on Aging. She is a graduate of George Washington Law School.
Session Synopsis
In this session, Donna led a lively discussion of the politics of DC, which passed a MAID law by a large margin but has been slow to implement it, and Maryland where passage of the law failed by one vote.
Click Below To View The Session Recording
Session Resources
Medical Aide in Dying is not Suicide One Pager: https://capitolhillvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Compassion-and-Choices-Medical-Aide-in-Dying-is-not-Suicide.pdf
DC Death with Dignity Act FAQ: https://capitolhillvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/DC-Death-with-Dignity-ACT-FAQs.pdf
Directly Input Your Information onto this Form (Fillable PDF): https://capitolhillvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/My-End-of-Life-Decisions-Guide-FILLABLE-ONLINE-FINAL-1.19.21.pdf
Reverend Mike Morse
Rev. Morse retired ordained minister of the United Church of Christ with Master of Divinity. He lives in Frederick with his wife Sea Raven, both of whom are advocates of social justice causes and active in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick. Mike’s first wife died in 2016 of Alzheimer’s disease after more than a nine-year struggle. He is a member of the Speaker’s Bureau of the Final Exit Network and is passionate about Death with Dignity issues.
Session Synopsis
In this session, Rev. Mike Morse talked about his experience counseling church members and with his wife’s family where five sisters and their mother died of Alzheimer’s. He helped his wife shorten the ordeal by using Voluntary Suspension of Eating and Drinking (VSED).
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Donna Gayles
Director of Client Relations and Associate Director of the Center for Health Equity for Capital Caring Health. She has focused on Long Term Care, Faith Based and Community Organization Connections, Outreach and Health Equity Initiatives. She calls herself “an ordinary woman” with a passion to spread “the hope of hospice” to all who need it.
Nicole Heidreder
Nicole has worked as a Hospice Nurse and Labor Delivery Nurse in various capacities for the last 10 years. As a death worker, Nicole supports people ending their life using Medical Aid in Dying and teaches End-of-Life Doula Workshops.
Session Synopsis
In this session, Donna Gayles told us about hospice from her work for hospice provider Capital Caring and from the experience of family and friends, illuminating her passionate view that “hospice is living”.
Click Below To View The Session Recording
Session Resources
Palliative and Hospice Care Handout: https://capitolhillvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Hospice-and-Palliative-Care.pdf
Capital Care Referral Indicator: https://capitolhillvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Capital-Care-Referral-Document.pdf
Capital Care Health DC: https://www.capitalcaring.org/
Lily Buerkle
Lily is licensed embalmer and funeral director in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with over 6 years experience in funeral service, who has recently joined Congressional Cemetery as its Director of Site Sales and Funerals.
Session Synopsis
In this session, Lily Beurkle led a dozen participants in a lively discussion of what to do if someone dies in your home and what are the many ways to store or dispose of a corpse: traditional burial, cremation, green burial, and composting.
Click Below To View The Session Recording