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We are honored to have Jennifer Moore Ballentine, MA, as one of our keynote speakers for the 13th Annual Palliative Care Summit, presented in partnership with the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association and Coalition for Compassionate Care of California. The Summit will take place virtually June 22 & 23, and registration is currently open.
Jennifer is a long-time national palliative care advocate and educator who has served as Executive Director for the CSU Shiley Institute for Palliative Care since 2017. In the past 20 years, she has published numerous articles on palliative and end-of-life care in peer-reviewed and trade journals.
Jennifer has delivered more than 600 workshops, Grand Rounds, webinars, and in-service training programs; developed, planned, and executed 14 local, state, and national conferences; and created five comprehensive multi-part educational programs. She is the former Executive Director of the Life Quality Institute and has a master’s degree in End-of-Life Studies from Regis University.
Jennifer’s talk on June 23 is titled “Watch Your Language: Three Problems with Language in Palliative Care.” Rich with real-life examples and research findings, this presentation will explore three “problems” of language in providing care for seriously ill patients and their caregivers: elderspeak, euphemisms, and gender-based expression of illness.
Jennifer’s talk will offer Summit attendees the opportunity to:
- Identify the possibility for harm inherent in our use of certain words or phrases in the delivery of palliative care; and
- Apply tips and tactics to change our language in order to minimize harm and maximize respectful and authentic communication.