Wife and Death: A Lady Glaucomflecken Keynote

Description: 

This session is part of Sepsis Alliance Summit 2025.

Medical crises create profound, lasting impacts not only for patients but also for co-survivors—the family members, partners, and close associates who witness and endure these traumatic experiences alongside them. Kristin Flanary, patient and family advocate known online as "Lady Glaucomflecken," shares her deeply personal insights into the co-survivorship journey, drawing from her own experiences of co-surviving life-altering medical emergencies alongside her husband. Kristin introduces the concept of the "Quiet Place" and her "Explain-Name-Validate" framework as essential tools for addressing the often unseen psychological and emotional impacts on co-survivors. Through storytelling and practical strategies, Kristin will guide healthcare professionals in recognizing and honoring the dignity, needs, and healing processes of co-survivors, emphasizing the importance of compassionate, trauma-informed healthcare, particularly relevant to families affected by sepsis.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the learner should be able to:

• Define co-survivorship as a distinct, impactful experience requiring targeted recognition and support, particularly in severe illnesses such as sepsis;
• Identify the unique psychological, emotional, and cognitive challenges faced by co-survivors, independent of their relationship to the patient;
• Describe the "Explain-Name-Validate" framework and demonstrate how healthcare providers can apply this model to support co-survivors in trauma-informed ways;
• List practical strategies for creating healthcare environments that are sensitive to the needs of co-survivors, incorporating lessons from patient-centered practices such as those found in pediatric and palliative care.

Target Audience: 

Nurses, advanced practice providers, physicians, emergency responders, pharmacists, medical technologists, respiratory therapists, physical/occupational therapists, infection prevention specialists, data/quality specialists, and more.