The Hope at the End conference will cover the history, heart, and purpose of The Hope Initiative, and how the Five Stones (love, hope, faith, peace, and joy) provide support during the difficult final seasons of life. The Hope Initiative is a Christian-based course designed to encourage and support caregivers of the chronically and terminally ill.

The conference is the brainchild of Mona Hanford, a distinguished eldercare activist, consultant, and speaker, as well as the author of the bestselling book, The Graceful Exit: 10 Things You Need to Know. Mona herself is dealing with a serious cancer diagnosis and has been undergoing treatment since November.

Hope at the End will be organized around expert presentations from faith leaders, as well as medical and hospice care professionals. Those presentations will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Rev. Jamie Haith, to include Sister Carol Keehan, Dr. Eduardo Bruera, and Dr. Jacob Strand, with time allowed for discussion and questions. While the conference has a Christian focus, it is designed to help people from all faiths or those who are seeking spiritual help in a challenging time. We pray that this conference can ignite a national dialogue around faith as a key component of health, well-being, and hope.