thomas lynch & theodora peters

UNITED in Faith, Health and Strength: A Faith and

Community Based Education Program on Advanced Care Planning and End of Life

Care.

Thomas Lynch & Theodora Peters

Nuts and Bolts of Community Based Participatory

Research Knowledge Put into Action Breakout Session.

April 2014

Theodora Peters, MHS

Hopkins ElderPlus, Outreach Coordinator

New Shiloh Baptist Church, Deacon

UNITED – Lead Parishioner Advocate

Thomas Lynch, PhD

Johns Hopkins Research Coordinator

Palliative Care Researcher

Roman Catholic Parishioner

Introduction• Researchers at Johns Hopkins University

have applied for funding to develop a faith-

centered, community-based educational

program on Advanced Care Planning and

End of Life Care.

• If funded, the project will be a joint

partnership between parishioners and

leaders at two local African-American

churches, doctors, nurses, and public

health researchers.

Who is UNITED?

Today’s Aim

Gain a better understanding of

community member & parishioner

knowledge and perception of

Advanced Care Planning and End of

Life Care

Advance Care Planning

• Discussing medical options in the event

that the patient becomes too sick to

speak for him or herself

“Who do you want to speak for you when

you can’t speak for yourself?”

End of Life Care

• High quality end of life care involves

symptom management, psychosocial

support of patients and their families, and

provision of care consistent with their goals.

“What do you want the last days of your life to

be like?”

“Do you want to be at home? Do you want to

be in a hospital?”

Faith and Illness

• Religion, faith, and spirituality

fundamentally impact how a person

perceives life, illness, and death.

“When I’m called home, it is a reward…I

celebrate crossing over.”

“A Homegoing Service is a celebration of

life.”

The UNITED Project

• The partnership goals are:

• To encourage parishioners to talk to each

other and their loved ones about advance

care planning and end-of-life care that are in

alignment with their faith and priorities.

• To empower parishioners to specify who

makes end-of-life care decisions for them,

should they be too sick to speak for

themselves.

First Baptist Church of Highland Park

New Shiloh Baptist Church

History

• New Shiloh Baptist Church is celebrating its 112th year

• Church began in 1902 with 3 people in a prayer meeting

• Parishioners are predominantly African American

Pastors

• Dr. Whit W. Allen 1902-1942

• Rev. Timothy Boddie 1964- 1963

• Rev. Harold A. Carter 1964-2013

• Rev. Harold Carter Jr. 1996 to present

Rev. Harold Carter, Jr.

Growth

• The church grew under the first three pastors and continues to grow– National and international leadership

–Multi-million dollar complex in the inner city, which includes the evolving New Shiloh Village Community

• New Shiloh has licensed over 150 ministers

Services & Ministries

• Open 7 days a week, 365 days at 6:00am for prayer ministry

• Offers 3 different Sunday worship services

• Has over 35 ministries to address the needs of the congregation and community

Schools

• Saturday Church School celebrates 40 years of ministry and replaces the traditional Sunday school classes

• New Shiloh is the parent body for 2 schools:– The Nathan Carter School of Music

– The Determined Biblical and Theological Institute of Baltimore, MD

Nurses Ministry• Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical

Nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants & Technicians:

– Help people with disabilities or those who become ill during services

– Check vital signs or blood glucose

– Assist at an annual health fair at the church

– Provide CPR training

– Comfort bereaved family members at home

New Shiloh and UNITED

• New Shiloh is a good place for UNITED

• This is a good time for UNITED at New Shiloh

Proposed components of UNITED

• A faith-embracing video that, amongst

other things, will educate about Advanced

Care Planning and End of Life Care

• Trained parishioner lay health educators

who can counsel co-parishioners regarding

Advanced Care Planning and End of Life

Care.

Reason for Breakout Session

In the next 12 months, UNITED leaders will

engage faith and community groups to

explore parishioner and church leader current

knowledge and perceptions regarding

Advanced Care Planning and End of Life Care.

Reason for Breakout Session

Your participation today will help the UNITED team

develop a plan to identify and reach out to

parishioner and community stakeholders.

Please also help us identify potential questions and

concerns that parishioners and community

members may have about Advanced Care

Planning, End of Life Care, and the proposed

UNITED project.

Discussion questions

• How can we best explore community views on

Advanced Care Planning and End of Life Care?

• Who are other potential partners that could

contribute to this project?

• What concerns may parishioners have about

Advanced Care Planning and/or End of Life

Care?

• How should these concerns be addressed?

Contact Details

• Thomas lynch –

tlynch13@jhmi.edu

• Theodora Peters –

tpeters2@jhmi.edu

Scope of the problem

• Multiple studies show that African

Americans may receive poorer end of life

care.

• African Americans may be more likely to

receive care inconsistent with their

preferences with further disparities related

to transitions of care (such as appropriate

use of hospice).

Scope of the problem• Smith, et al., J Gen Intern Med. (2007) examined

satisfaction with health provider communication - African

Americans were less satisfied than White populations ;

• Mack, et al., Arch Intern Med. (2010) examined racial

disparities on end-of-life-care communication - African

American care provision was found to be inconsistent

with their preferences ;

• Lepore, et al., Gerontologist (2011) examined rates of

hospice use - there are lower rates of hospice use

amongst African Americans as compared to White

populations .