The conference will be helpful and informative for anyone who provides care, particularly in an end-of-life situation, said Julie Higbie, co-chairwoman of the conference, noting it’s aimed at physicians, nurses, social workers and chaplains, as well as caregivers.

Higbie emphasized that in each session, “there is something there for the caregiver to help them understand the process better.”

It’s not just for caregivers and hospice professionals though, said Sue (Kitti) Rutkowski, co-chairwoman of the conference and CEO of Lake Superior Life Care and Hospice. Rutkowski said it can be helpful to anyone who works in “facilities or assisted living, or hospitals or a physician’s office.”

Furthermore, the conference will feature a free keynote presentation for the public by Marquette County Probate Judge Cheryl Hill at 5:15 p.m. Oct. 23.

National speaker, educator and author Gary Gardia speaks at a previous Upper Great Lakes Palliative Care and Hospice Conference. This year’s conference, to be held Oct. 23 and 24 at Marquette’s Holiday Inn, will feature presentations on everything from anticipatory grief, to integrative medicine, to the role of cannabinoids in palliative care, organizers said. (Journal file photo)

Organizers said the general registration deadline for the conference is Oct. 15, with late registration available for an additional fee after then. Single-day registration is also available, as are reduced rates for family caregivers, home health aides, certified nursing aides and verified college students.

Two lunches and a breakfast will be included in the registration rate. To register, call 906-225-7760 or email jhigbie@lakesuperiorhospice.org.

Those who wish to reserve a room at the Marquette Holiday Inn for a reduced conference rate must call 906-225-1351 prior to Sept. 22.

The keynote presentation by Hill will cover legal issues related to end-of-life situations, such as living wills, guardianships, conservators and durable power of attorney.

“This is a way to teach everybody to be a little proactive and take a look at these things and get the guardianships set up as they need to be, long before you have a crisis situation,” Higbie said.

The conference, now in its fifth year, was started with the aim of providing close-to-home education for those in the U.P. and surrounding areas, Rutkowski said.

The two days of the conference will feature new and returning speakers who cover everything from anticipatory grief to the neuroscience of pain, to hospice houses and compassion fatigue, organizers said.

“There are so many different aspects to care at the end of life,” Higbie said. “And we are utilizing, this year, many of our local physicians who are experts in those areas.”

Higbie highlighted a presentation on cannabinoids and their role in palliative care by Dr. Sheetal Acharya on Oct. 24, noting it will provide a “true medical opinion” on the subject from someone who works in a field where “pain management is crucial.”

“She’s going to bring that topic to the table so we can all discuss it and hear what’s going on,” Higbie said.

Another new topic this year will be end-of-life doulas, who are trained professionals that stay with a person and their family during a person’s final days of life, organizers said. The presentation will be offered by Amy Matteson on Oct. 23 and Oct. 24.

A returning speaker, Dr. Larry Skendzel, will offer a presentation on delirium Oct. 23.

“(Delirium is) a complication toward the end of life and a good number of people have some sort of delirium that lasts days to a week or so,” Higbie said. “So he’ll be here to talk about the latest treatments and the updates and standard of care.”

They also highlighted a panel session to be held Oct. 23, which will feature speakers who will discuss their own personal experiences with hospice care for a loved one at the end of life.

Higbie said they hope the speakers can use their insights from their own personal experiences to inform the audience on “what we can do better across the board for all disciplines,” in terms of hospice care and support.

“I think it opens up the eyes of, for example, a social worker,” Rutkowski said. “When they could hear somebody say ‘this is what I need,’ that social worker is never going to forget that.”

Another panel discussion, which features speakers from U.P. hospice groups, will be held Oct. 24.

There will also be a hospice 101 presentation offered Oct. 23, organizers said.

“We have patients and family members that come to us that think hospice is a visiting nurse service, which it is, but it’s so much more than that, because it’s not just the nurse — it’s a social worker, it’s the spiritual care, it’s the volunteers that can help out,” Rutkowski said. “It’s the entire team with a medical director and the patient’s physician that are all involved in the care of that patient. It’s a team effort and we’re always trying to spread the word about what we do here in hospice and I think there’s a topic of some sort for everyone.”

Overall, Rutkowski and Higbie said they hope the conference can provide helpful resources and education for attendees of all fields, backgrounds and interest.

For more information on the conference, visit www.lakesuperiorhospice.org, call 906-225-7760 or visit www.facebook.com/events/685335258500203/.

Cecilia Brown can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. Her email address is cbrown@miningjournal.net.