Best Practices in Hospice Care for Advanced Dementia

SDAHO members receive free or discounted rates on HFA educational sessions. Register through SDAHO to receive a coupon code to use on HFA's site to access the special rates. 

Kenneth J. Doka, PhD, MDiv, Senior Vice President of Grief Programs, Hospice Foundation of America 

Kenneth Doka is Senior Vice President of Grief Programs at Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) and the recipient of the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Death Education and Counseling (ADEC). He is professor emeritus, the Graduate School of The College of New Rochelle. A prolific author and editor, Doka serves as editor of HFA’s Living with Grief® book series, its Journeys newsletter, and numerous other books and publications. He has been a panelist on HFA’s Living with Grief® program for 30 years. Doka is a past president of ADEC, a former board member of the International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement, and an Advisory Board member to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). He is the recipient of The International Work Group on Death, Dying, and Bereavement’s prestigious Herman Feifel Award and ADEC’s Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Death Education. In 2006, he was grandfathered in as a Mental Health Counselor under New York’s first state licensure of counselors. Doka is an ordained Lutheran minister.

Karen O. Moss, PhD, RN, CNL, FNAP, FGSA

Karen Moss’ research program focuses on improving palliative and end-of-life outcomes through pain, advance care planning, and peers support for Black American older adults living with dementia and their family caregivers. She examines multiple perspectives on factors that influence decision-making processes for Black American older adults living with dementia and their family caregivers. This includes examining pain and stress in older adults living with dementia and their family caregivers. Dr. Moss’ research is also focused on developing and testing Pair 2 Care©, a co-created peer support intervention to support Black American family caregivers of people living with dementia. Through her work, Dr. Moss and her team are working to improve the quality of life of Black family caregivers and their older adults living with dementia. She is the principal investigator in the Family Caregiver Community Research (FamCare) Laboratory and member of the Pain and Aging Lab. Dr. Moss is also an assistant professor and mixed methods core faculty member in the Center for Health Outcomes in Medicine, Scholarship and Service (HOMES) in the Division of Internal Medicine in the College of Medicine. 

Deanna Rymaszewski, DSW, APSW, APHSW, Clinical Educator – Social Worker, Agrace Hospice Care 

Deanna is the Clinical Educator – Social Worker for Agrace Hospice Care, a not-for-profit hospice based in Fitchburg, WI that serves South Central Wisconsin. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish, with an emphasis in Hispanic Health and Human Services, and a Doctorate in Social Work. She has had the opportunity to work with diverse populations in Milwaukee and Madison as well as surrounding areas. She has experience working with the elderly, physically disabled, and terminally ill and their grieving families. Deanna has worked as a Social Worker, Bereavement Coordinator, and Volunteer Coordinator. In her current role, Deanna develops education on a wide range of end-of-life topics including advance directives, what to expect, dementia, grief, and bereavement. She presents to Agrace staff as well as the local community members and providers.