New Hospice Foundation of America Program Focuses on Aging and End-of-Life Challenges in the LGBT Community

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hospice Foundation of America today released "Aging and End-of-Life Challenges in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Community," a free online webinar, written by Kimberly Acquaviva, PhD, MSW, that can help organizations better serve older LGBT adults and their loved ones who are coping with progressive illness, loss and grief.

"Aging and death don't discriminate. This webinar examines obstacles faced by individuals who are aging or living with advanced illness and addresses how hospice providers and other healthcare organizations can better serve the LGBT population. We are pleased to include this important webinar in our online resource library."

In addition to the program, additional resources and Fact Sheets can be downloaded for sharing with staff, students, and community members at no charge. Free Continuing Education credits are available for a wide range of professionals.

This program is part of HFA's Hospice Information Center, an extensive online library that also includes programs such as Understanding Hospice, Family Caregiving, Understanding Grief, and Coping with Cancer at the End of Life. The programming provides hospices and other community organizations the opportunity to educate staff and volunteers about the basics of hospice care, caregiving, and grief, and links are provided to guide viewers to more information on a variety of subjects. Other resources are available for consumers, to help family and friends learn about hospice and how it can help people cope with some of life's most challenging situations, in a format that is accessible and understandable. Resources are also available in Spanish and Chinese.

Hospice Foundation of America (www.hospicefoundation.org) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help those who cope personally or professionally with terminal illness, death, and the process of grief and bereavement. This project is provided through the support of a grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to support hospice and end-of-life care outreach and education. CMS funds of $571,000 with HFA in-kind services of $5,710 are funding a variety of outreach and educational programs, including this project.

SOURCE Hospice Foundation of America