Jeffrey Leeds, Project Coordinator, comes to us with thirty years’ experience as a health care provider, including extensive work in volunteer and advocacy organizations. Since coming on board last April, Dr. Leeds has participated in the facilitator training program, organized the 18 community forums that are currently under way, and conducted a review workshop for the facilitators in September.

Following the focus groups, led by research consultant Michael Perry, a 20-minute, two-part videotape was produced by filmmaker Christopher Lukas for use in the next two phases of the project: facilitator training program and community forums.  Through on-site first-person interviews with nursing home caregivers and a patient’s daughter, the first segment details the final days of an Alzheimer’s patient who left no documented end-of-life instructions before she lapsed into dementia.  Because her daughter was able to furnish clear and convincing evidence of her mother’s wishes and understood the virtue of working as a team member with the health care providers, these wishes were respected.

This video premiered at the facilitator training program and was incorporated into the training curriculum as a major teaching tool.  It currently serves as a lead-in to presentations and discussions at the community forums throughout New York City and environs.

A total of eighteen community forums have been arranged for these facilitators – fully 50% more than proposed in our grant. Sponsoring groups include educational, cultural, senior service, health care and religious organizations. We aim to reach 400 to 500 individuals representing populations differing in age, religion, ethnicity, socio-economic status and geographic locality. In addition, we predict a cascade effect after this project ends, with our facilitators continuing their work and providing their professional colleagues and home communities with the message of “Strengthening the Process of Health Care Agency: Citizen-to-Citizen.”

The final project report, and a manual for use by other organizations planning similar programs, will be ready by the beginning of April.  These materials, including the videotape, will be available from NYCCHCD at that time.