Join us for our 17th Annual Conference on Grief and Loss on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

Dignity at the end of life and during one's journey through grief has always been important, but dignity-in-care is not always delivered. Harvey Max Chochinov notes that patients can have challenges that "chip away" at their sense of self and their pride whether they are referred to by medical caregivers as their malady (the "cancer in room 512"), or feeling like their fear is not recognized ("there's nothing to be afraid of"). Chochinov notes: "Being a patient can assault one's sense of self...patienthood threatens to eclipse personhood." For many care providers, making one's way through a busy day can sometimes lead to forgetting that the patient is a person - a person with feelings. Chochinov reminds us of the words of Sir William Osler: "the good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease."

To understand dignity in caring for others requires a deep understanding of what it means to be a patient with a life-limiting medical condition; what it means to grieve; what it means to grapple with uncertainties and risks; and what it means to feel vulnerable. This can be challenging and requires caregivers to ensure physical comfort; respectful communication; and emotional validation.

This presentation offers a compassionate, comprehensive examination of strategies for supporting individuals and families at end-of-life and in grief. It is designed to equip healthcare providers, caregivers, and community members with the knowledge needed to provide dignified, person-centered care and meaningful emotional support.

The Annual Conference on Grief and Loss is the result of the collaborative efforts of several bereavement professionals in the Greater Cincinnati area. Our goal is to offer a one-day program featuring a nationally recognized speaker to local bereavement providers in an affordable venue.

Audience: Aftercare providers, bereavement specialists, child life specialists, chaplains, clergy, counselors, educators, funeral directors, nurses, social workers, and anyone who works with the bereaved.

Presenter: Janet McCord, PhD, CT, FT

Janet is Professor of Thanatology and Director of the Master of Science and Graduate Certificate Programs in Thanatology at Edgewood University in Wisconsin. She was the 2023 recipient of the Association for Death Education and Counseling's Academic Death Educator Award, honoring her contributions to the field of death and grief education. She has been a death, grief, and suicide educator at the graduate level since 2009, and has educated hundreds of students around the world in over 15 countries.

As a Fulbright Specialist in Thanatology, she worked in partnership with the University of Aveiro in Aveiro, Portugal to broaden death, suicide, and grief education among professionals for the Portuguese context (January 2026). In June 2026, she went to Australia and served as Grief Australia's International Grief Educator where she delivered full day workshops in five cities: Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney.

She has been a member of the International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG) since 2017 and embraces the IWG's vision as her own: a world where dying, death, and bereavement are an open part of all cultures.

Learning Objectives: 

• Discuss the historical context of grief theory and approaches to grief support, and identify connections with dignity-in-care.
• Define "dignity in care" and discuss its application to end-of-life care and grief support.
• Describe approaches to dignity-enhancing approaches at end-of-life and grief support.
• Identify practical strategies to honor a patient's or griever's autonomy, cultural context, wishes, and personal values.

Location: Please note new location!

Spring Grove Funeral Homes - Event Center

4389 Spring Grove Avenue

Cincinnati, Ohio 45223

FREE PARKING!

Please note that room temperatures vary; please bring a jacket or sweater for your comfort.

Continuing Education Approvals:

Counselor and Social Workers: 5 clock hours for those who attend the entire program and complete the program evaluation. This program is approved by the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board. Provider #RCS071902 (No partial CEU's given)

VITAS Nurses, Social Workers and Nursing Home Administrators: 5 CE's provided by VITAS Healthcare based on state regulations. Nursing Home Administrators: (139000207) RT (195000028)

Funeral Directors: 5 CE's approved by the Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors.

Certified Funeral Service Practitioner: 5 contact hours approved by the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice.

Questions about the conference?

Contact: Jan Borgman, MSW, LISW-S, FT

Bereavement  Specialist

Certified Celebrant

513-338-4309

cjborgman1107@gmail.com