OCTOBER 26, 2001 - Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry Services Director Kathy Wilbur announced that more than 600 long-term care providers, state surveyors, hospice representatives and health care advocates attended a successful joint training session held in Lansing this week to discuss how to enhance end of life care.

The one-day training session focused on the Michigan End of Life Care Commission’s recently-released report to Gov. John Engler on how to improve humane and dignified treatment at the end of life. The report examined state policies to remove barriers to effective pain management and improve access for citizens to end of life care. The 12-member commission, which included CIS Director Kathleen Wilbur, also recommended ways to evaluate and improve training and curricula for health care professionals on end of life care.

The CIS training session also addressed the hospice perspective on end of life care in the long term care setting, facility processes for falls and fall risk assessment, and clinical practice guidelines to improve end of life care such as pain management.

The session featured keynote speaker Dr. Larry Lawhorne, director of the Geriatric Education Center of Michigan, Michigan State University; and Medical Director, Senior Services, Sparrow Health Systems. In addition to CIS staff, presenters included Patricia Grayson, RN, NHA, Director of Long Term Care Services, Evangelical Homes of Michigan; Kelly Gray, RN, BSN, Facility Services Liaison, Hospice of Michigan; and Brenda Schoenherr, RN, BBL, Facility Services Director, Hospice of Michigan.

This is the sixth joint training session Consumer & Industry Services has held since launching its innovative Resident Protection Initiative in 1996. The training sessions are part of the CIS Long Term Care Improvement Program.

“CIS organizes these joint training sessions because we understand that providing the highest level of care and quality of life to our most vulnerable population is a collaborative effort that involves regulators, providers, residents and their families,” Wilbur said.

The Michigan End of Life Care Commission’s report to the governor is available at www.michigan.gov. The commission held public meetings across the state where it received input for the report from caregivers, families, and health care providers.

Read more Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry Services press releases.