http://www.cfha.net/forum_thread.php?t=52Recent posts in Jo Ellen Patterson: "The Conference Will Be Personal This Year"http://www.cfha.net/forum_thread.php?t=52#post65pMy thoughts and prayers go out to you and to your family. Sometimes being a family member is tough because you are a family member who knows how things SHOULD be and what good care looks like when it is happening as it should.phttp://www.cfha.net/forum_thread.php?t=52#post55pJo EllenppnbspppThanks for this heartfelt post.nbsp Im saddened to hear about your mothers illness and pray for your peace of mind and her comfort.ppnbspppI agree with you that when our personal lives converge with our professional lives our day jobs take on a different meaning.nbsp Sometimes it is a turn for the worse and our work activities end up feeling empty tedious and disconnected.nbspnbspAnd other times worknbspbecomes our vehicle to push for fundamental changes in our personal lives and the lives of our loved ones.nbspppnbspppHeres hoping for the latter for you at the conference.nbspphttp://www.cfha.net/forum_thread.php?t=52#post54pp classMsoNormal stylemargin 0in 0in 0pt line-height 13.5ptMy Mother is dying and my family is grieving.nbsp My 82 year old Mother has terminal cancer.nbsp Her oncologist called the aggressive radiation and chemotherapy that she receives ldquopalliative treatment.rdquonbsp Irsquom not sure my parents understand that ldquopalliativerdquo is code for ldquono hoperdquo nor does my family understand that the cancer treatments will accelerate her decline into dementia.nbsp I know that my Motherrsquos doctors care about her but stillhellipmy family grieves and seeks understanding.pp classMsoNormal stylemargin 0in 0in 0pt line-height 13.5ptnbsppp classMsoNormal stylemargin 0in 0in 0pt line-height 13.5ptnbspnbspnbspnbspnbspnbspnbspnbspnbspnbspnbsp This year as the 2009 Collaborative Family Healthcare Meeting arrives I am thinking about my family and why I became interested in CFHA many years ago at Wingspread. pp classMsoNormal stylemargin 0in 0in 0pt line-height 13.5ptnbsppul typediscAn organization that promotes comprehensive biopsychosocial care.nbsp An interdisciplinary group of health professionals committed to creating a more holistic model of care.Healthcare professionals who pay attention to patientsrsquo mental health needs not just their physical needs.Physicians and therapists who recognize the critical role of family members in supporting family membersrsquo health.ulp classMsoNormal stylemargin 0in 0in 0pt line-height 13.5ptnbsppp classMsoNormal stylemargin 0in 0in 0pt text-indent 0.5in line-height 13.5ptThese components of the shared vision that inspired the creation of CFHA have new meaning as the United States urgently debates how healthcare should be delivered and who should pay.nbsp What will be included in the medical homenbsp How does globalization affect healthcare delivery in the United States and around the worldnbsp What supports and procedures do families need as they care for their ill or dying membersnbsp These are a few of the questions that I look forward to discussing at the conference in San Diego this year.nbsp While I always have a professional interest in the stimulating debates that occur at CFHA I anticipate that this year I will be thinking about my own family and hoping that my CFHA colleagues continue to search for new ways to deliver cost effective comprehensive humanistic care.pp classMsoNormal stylemargin 0in 0in 0ptnbsppp classMsoNormal stylemargin 0in 0in 0ptnbsppp classMsoNormal stylemargin 0in 0in 0ptnbspppp classMsoNormal stylemargin 0in 0in 0ptnbspp