VHS Hospice social work intern Jill Carpenter will host a Death Café from 6 to 7 p.m. April 22 in the community room at The Arbors Independent Living.
The event is open everyone, including Virginia Health Services team members, to join an informal and open conversation in a safe, non-judgmental space where participants can explore thoughts, feelings and experiences surrounding death and dying.
It is intended to be a casual discussion, she said, more than a grief support or counseling session.
“This is an uncomfortable topic that’s not talked about enough,” Jill said. “This gives people place to talk about those things that may be taboo, and gain advice, perspective and coping strategies.”
What is a Death Café?
Nearly 100 countries have hosted Death Cafés since September 2011, according to deathcafe.com. The Death Café model was developed by Jon Underwood and Sue Barsky Reid, based on the ideas of Bernard Crettaz.
Hosting the café is the capstone project for Jill’s internship with Hospice. She coordinated with Director of VHS Hospice and Home Health Care Ariane Minette, who was enthusiastic for Jill to pursue hosting the café. Jill will complete her master’s degree in social work from Virginia Commonwealth University in May.
“This brings the discussion to the forefront. (Death) does affect us all one way or the other,” Jill said.
She has spent several years working in mental health before pursing this degree in social work.
“This isn’t a foreign concept,” she said. “When my spouse passed away, I found hospice is so important. I am utterly grateful for the internship here and experiencing what working in hospice is like.”
To prepare for the Death Café, Jill said she is pulling from personal and professional experience.
“It is important to allow people to have a safe space to vent. In the healthcare setting, those team members who deal with death and dying need to be able to have a space to be in the moment, deal with what happened and process it,” she said. “They need a supportive space, like a café.”
More information
Find background on Death Cafés at deathcafe.com. For more information on VHS Hospice, visit vahs.com/hospicecare.
