Title: Buddhist Perspectives on Care at the End-of-Life
Educational Objectives

Provide an introduction to Buddhism that will include how Buddhism began, where it is
practiced, how it has spread in America, and the major branches of Buddhism.

Describe foundational Buddhist beliefs that care providers should understand for
providing spiritually competent care at the end of life.

Examine common Buddhist practices and rituals across traditions that have relevance to
end of life care.

Highlight implications for compassionate care across the dying trajectory, including
additional considerations for care receivers who are Buddhist.
Description:
Death is the most crucial moment of our lives, and each and every one of us should be able to die
in peace and fulfillment, knowing that we will be surrounded by the best in spiritual care.”
(Sogyal Rinpoche)
Buddhism is the fastest growing religion in the United States and increasing numbers of persons
residing in the country have adopted foundational Buddhist beliefs, including many who practice
other forms of religion. Regardless of one’s personal spiritual orientation, Buddhist philosophy,
psychology and teachings about death and dying offer valuable perspectives for professional
caregivers. From Buddhist philosophy and teachings handed down through the centuries has
come a sophisticated understanding of the subtle stages of the dying process and what care
providers and family members can and should do to promote the most optimal outcomes for
patients at the end of life. Understanding foundational Buddhist beliefs and the diversity in
practices and rituals across traditions is necessary to provide culturally and spiritually
competently end-of-life care for the growing number of U.S. Buddhists and those who hold
Buddhist beliefs. This session will review the historical perspective of Buddhism in America,
describe foundational Buddhist beliefs, practices and rituals relevant to the living, dying and
death, and describe practical advice for compassionate care across the dying trajectory.
Betty Kramer, PhD, MSW
Professor of Social Work
University of Wisconsin, Madison
School of Social Work
1350 University Ave.
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 263-3830
ejkramer@wisc.edu
Biography
Dr. Betty Kramer, Professor University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Social Work
Dr. Betty Kramer is a Professor in the School of Social Work and a member of the
Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Professor Kramer is a
nationally recognized gerontology researcher, scholar and educator. Her research has
strengthened understanding of male caregivers, caregiving gains, transitions in the caregiving
career, and the distinctive nature of end-of-life caregiving. She co-edited a volume entitled Men
as Caregivers: Theory, Research, and Service Implications (2002), and has written with Dr.
Nancy Hooyman, the first evidence-based textbook to profile grief and bereavement
interventions for human service professionals entitled Living through Loss: Interventions across
the Life-Span (2006). With her colleagues, she established competencies and a national research
agenda for social work research in palliative and end-of-life care. As the recipient of two national
awards, the John A. Hartford Foundation Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar Award, and the
Project on Death in America Social Work Leadership Development Award, Dr. Kramer has
received support to implement several projects relevant to improving palliative care. She is a
faculty member and mentor of a National Cancer Institute training grant titled. Transdisciplinary
Palliative Care Education for Social Workers, Psychologists and Chaplains (Principal
Investigator: Shirley Otis-Greene). As a Fellow of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society,
Dr. Kramer has developed curriculum to highlight the importance of mindfulness for
compassionate and ethically based social action, examine theory, research and practice related to
the use of meditation as a therapeutic intervention, and review mindfulness methods for
professional self-awareness and self-care. She has 28 years of experience with various forms of
meditation, a long standing interest in Eastern perspectives on mental health, and is a practitioner
of Tibetan Buddhism. Dr. Kramer is the mid-west facilitator for the Conscious End-of-Life
Training Program. Recent awards include the Alumni Fellows Award, University of Louisville
(2004); the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGE-SW) Faculty
Achievement Award (2004), and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
(NHPCO) Distinguished Researcher Award (2008).