Demystifying Death and Dying

Welcome Home of Chattanooga will host an all-day conference, Demystifying Death and Dying, April 21 at First Baptist Church, 401 Gateway Avenue. Welcome Home of Chattanooga is a nonprofit organization with the mission of providing shelter, healing and compassionate end-of-life care for those in need.

The event is part of its Spring Enrichment Program, through which it offers opportunities to discuss and learn about death and end-of-life care. The conference will cover a wide range of topics, from practical information about hospice care to ethical and philosophical issues.

The keynote speaker will be Roy Remer of the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco, who will present Purpose-Inspired Death. While most people consider their dying experience to be devoid of purpose or meaning, Remer’s concept radically reframes the dying experience. He believes that we can benefit our loved ones by modeling a different way to meet death, viewing it as the final initiation process in a lifetime of passages. “Even simply considering the possibility of a purpose-inspired death shifts one’s relationship to mortality and loss and allows for a more expansive view of dying,” he says.

There will also be a panel discussion of cultural and religious influences that shape how people experience death; a Death Café where people can share their thoughts, ideas and concerns about dying and death; and several break-out sessions.

The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Preregistration is encouraged, and those who register by April 14 will receive a discount. CEUs will be available.

For more information and to register for the conference, visit WelcomeHomeOfChattanooga.org.