The very first Closure Community Conversations Series was held from November 2007 through April 2008. The series was designed to bring the Jewish community together; engage partners and community leaders; confirm and expand understanding of end-of-life issues; and discover how best to mobilize support for patients and families.
Closure I engaged a natural network of community stakeholders who could directly improve end-of-life care: adult daycare workers; clergy; family caregivers; financial planners; home care workers, hospice workers, lawyers, long-term care workers, physicians and other medical professionals; social workers and social service providers .
In six sessions, the group outlined specific, pragmatic actions to improve end-of-life planning, decision making and care. Their goals were to increase appropriate hospice and palliative care; decrease unnecessary healthcare expenditures and ICU admittances at end-of-life; and help patients proactively plan for and manage end-of-life experiences.