Contemplative Care

We’ve announced the date and set the agenda for a much-anticipated second installment of our semi-annual Buddhist Contemplative Care (BCC) Symposium, to be held at the Institute November 6-9, 2014.  A joint project of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care (NYZCCC) and the Garrison Institute’s Initiative on Transforming Trauma, the BCC Symposium showcases contemplative-based approaches to end-of-life and palliative care.  NYZCCC delivers contemplative care through major providers in New York, and is the first and only organization to offer fully accredited Buddhist chaplaincy training. It defines “contemplative care” as “an approach to caregiving that incorporates mindfulness practice, compassionate action and moment-to-moment awareness while in relationship with the one being cared for.”

With demand for palliative and end-of-life care exploding as technology advances and the population ages, and with attrition rates for palliative and end-of-life nurses and physicians ranging from 30 – 50%, caregivers need contemplative care, just as patients do.  Contemplative skills can help them stay present and maintain empathy and effectiveness despite caring for many dying patients.  Such skills are rarely taught in medical or nursing schools, but they can be learned and taught. The Buddhist Contemplative Care Symposium offers practitioners tools and insights for providing the most effective palliative and end-of-life care possible.