Conscious Dying: An Integrative Approach at the End of Life

Presented by: Stephanie Hope, DNP, RN, NC-BC, and William Rosa, PhD, APRN-BC, FCCM, FAANP, FAAN

Since the inception of hospice in America in the 1980s, care of the dying has dramatically improved to meet the unique needs of dying people, with a focus on comfort over cure. There are social, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the dying process, however, that are inherently uncomfortable. Instead of seeking to palliate this fact, caregivers can be of better service to their patients by helping them increase their level of consciousness during this difficult, and yet incredibly meaningful transition. The next evolution of end-of-life care is to honor dying as a developmental process and as a rite of passage. This session will reflect on how healthcare professionals and the institutions they work within currently approach the concept of dying. The session will offer personal practices that can be used to increase constructive consciousness of death throughout life, not just at its end., and will present current work from the Conscious Dying Institute, the death doula movement, and research on the use of entheogens at end-of-life.

This presentation was recorded at the 2020 Integrative Healthcare Symposium Annual Conference.