Join us for the free (online) Elizabeth J. Latimer Lecture in Palliative Care "How Equity-Oriented is Palliative Care" with the extraordinary Dr. Kelli Stajduhar.
The 17th Annual Innovations in Palliative Care Virtual Conference
Join us for the (online) 17th Annual Innovations in Palliative Care Virtual Conference, a collaboration between the Division of Palliative Care, Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University and Pallium Canada
Excited to be on Faculty for Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care (LEAP) McMaster
Excited to be on Faculty for this exciting collaboration. Join us for this Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care (#LEAP) #CPD!
Pallium Canada and the Division of Palliative Care, Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University have partnered to create a unique #online #learning opportunity for #healthcare professionals.
This is a unique #opportunity to continue learning about the #palliative care approach. The #workshop addresses contemporary topics of relevance to care providers across many care settings including #hospital, #community and #residential care, as well as special challenges encountered during transitions in care.
These #workshops are ideal for any health care professional (e.g. #Physician, #Nurse, #SocialWorker, #Pharmacist, etc.) who would like continued learning on the #PalliativeCare approach.
Session topics include:
- Recap of the Palliative Care Approach
- Unique Situations
- Transitions in Long-Term Care
- In-Depth Conversations
- Advanced Liver and Heart Diseases
- Kidney and Neurological Diseases
In recognition of the hard work of health care professionals throughout the #COVID19 pandemic, the price for these sessions has been reduced.
Visit: https://pallium.myshopify.com/collections/palliative-care-in-depth-workshop
From Diagnosis to Bereavement: Engaging the Public Across the Continuum
Excited to present "From Diagnosis to Bereavement: Engaging the Public Across the Continuum" at the 2018 Partners in Care: Central West Palliative Care Network Annual Conference.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Consider systems challenges impacting care of people facing dying and loss;
2. Examine psychosocial implications for individuals, families and healthcare providers facing illness, grief and bereavement;
3. Explore compassionate community events as essential opportunities to engage the public following a life-limiting diagnosis through to bereavement.
For more information, or to register, please visit: http://cwpcn.ca/en/annual-conference/
Healthcare Continuing Education: Palliative Care Certificate Program at Mohawk College
Excited to be teaching my 9th consecutive semester in the Palliative Care Certificate Program for regulated and certified healthcare professionals (RNs, RPNs, OTs, PTs, RTs, SLPs, Social Workers, Dieticians, Physicians, etc.) with Continuing Education @mohawkcollege
It is so important to demystify the breadth and scope of this approach to care while highlighting the need for early integration of Palliative Care. Every healthcare provider has an active role to play in supporting anyone (individual or family) facing a complex illness, from time of diagnosis, through to bereavement.
For more information about this holistic and collaborative interprofessional certificate program, please visit: https://www.mohawkcollege.ca/ce/programs/health-and-nursing/palliative-care-multidiscipline-017
Burlington Death Café. In Celebration of World Hospice Palliative Care Day
In Celebration of World Hospice Palliative Care Day, and in support of the Burlington Compassionate City Charter and the Carpenter Hospice, the Burlington Death Café will be held on October 11th, 2017 from 7-9pm at Emma's Back Porch.
Death Café is an international movement where people, often strangers, gather together to eat, drink and discuss death. The objective is 'to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives’.
At Death Café, you can expect a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group, rather than grief support or a counselling session. It is a respectful, public event where people of all communities and belief systems are welcome to have discussions about death.
Interesting conversation is guaranteed!
This is a free public event, but seating is limited. For information, or to register, please visit Eventbrite
For more information about Death Café, please visit http://deathcafe.com/
What can Palliative Care Do?
"When you are facing a serious illness, you need relief from symptoms. You need to better understand your condition and choices for care. You need to improve your ability to tolerate medical treatments. And, you and your family need to be able to carry on with everyday life. This is what palliative care can do." #SeriousIllness #PalliativeCare
For more information visit Get Palliative Care
LETTING GO: What should medicine do when it can’t save your life?
“People have concerns besides simply prolonging their lives. Surveys of patients with terminal illness find that their top priorities include, in addition to avoiding suffering, being with family, having the touch of others, being mentally aware, and not becoming a burden to others. Our system of technological medical care has utterly failed to meet these needs, and the cost of this failure is measured in far more than dollars. The hard question we face, then, is not how we can afford this system’s expense. It is how we can build a health-care system that will actually help dying patients achieve what’s most important to them at the end of their lives.”
What people talk about before they die
“I visit people who are dying -- in their homes, in hospitals, in nursing homes. And if you were to ask me the same question -- What do people who are sick and dying talk about with the chaplain? -- I, without hesitation or uncertainty, would give you the same answer. Mostly, they talk about their families: about their mothers and fathers, their sons and daughters.
They talk about the love they felt, and the love they gave. Often they talk about love they did not receive, or the love they did not know how to offer, the love they withheld, or maybe never felt for the ones they should have loved unconditionally.”
The End Game: Conversations about Life and Death. A Free Public Event. Oct. 2nd 2016
Please join us as we host this free event. For many people, talking about end-of-life is uncomfortable or even taboo. But sooner or later, we all die. This is an upbeat, interactive session that provides evidence-based tools regarding advance care planning, hospice, palliative and end-of-life care. Let's talk. Do you have an End Game?
For more information or to register, please visit Eventbritehttps://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-end-game-conversations-about-life-and-death-tickets-27665945588?aff=efbevent
#Palliative Care is not about #dying, but about quality of #living @JMyersPallCare #hpm
There are a multitude of misconceptions surrounding Palliative Care - what it is and what it isn't. Sadly, many are not open to the prospect of Palliative Care because it presented as a departure from "active care" or moreover they believe that Palliative Care is only provided at end of life. It is in fact so much more than that... I truly appreciate this article demystifying the scope and breadth of Palliative Care written by Dr. Jeff Myers, a Palliative Physician, empathic clinician, extraordinary advocate and educator...
"At a time when assisted dying dominates discussion about end-of-life care, I think it’s important to address public fears around palliative care so that people can use the information to improve their quality of life.
Palliative care is not what happens when all treatments have failed. It does not mean “giving up” or “stopping the fight.” If you are fighting cancer or Lou Gehrig’s disease, palliative care means a team of people — such as doctors, nurses, social workers and others — will help make sure you have what you need to continue fighting.
As a palliative care physician, I am deeply committed to improving end-of-life experiences for people and their families. My focus is not on the disease itself but on the impact it can have, like relieving the severity of symptoms with the overall goal of improving quality of life.
It’s my job to know what matters to you and to make sure you’re not spending time and energy on bothersome symptoms that needlessly wear you down. Pain is a good example: terrible pain from cancer can be exhausting, consume a ton of energy and is worse for the body than any medications aiming to manage the pain. There is no need for a person fighting cancer to also try fighting pain.
There is now very clear evidence that people who receive specialized palliative care actually live longer than those who do not. This is why it’s so important to understand that palliative care is not about giving up — far from it. It’s about living the very best you can for as long as you do."
Talking About #Death Won’t Kill You. @Kathykm @TEDTalks #Death #Education #hpm
"An unconventional death educator with an equal parts wry and wise delivery style, Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller is committed to showing her audience that talking about death and dying won’t kill you. Using stories and research, Kathy extends an invitation to view death as not a taboo subject - but rather a shared life experience. Audience members walk away with shifted perspectives and a deep understanding that talking about death, without knowing or needing all the “answers”, actually brings us closer to our loved ones than we ever imagined possible."
@CanadianHPCAssn #National #Hospice #Palliative Care Week Busting the #Myths #hpm
National Hospice Palliative Care Week will run May 1-7, 2016 under the theme Hospice Palliative Care First and features an FAQ, Mythbusters, and includes information for health care professionals.
"There are many ways to start the conversation about end-of-life care in Canada. Spreading awareness and education is one of the best ways to advocate for change and ensure that every Canadian has access to quality hospice palliative care.
Visit the official Advance Care Planning website at www.advancecareplanning.ca for resources to share and distribute.
Learn about the integrated palliative approach to care developed by the Way Forward project at www.nationalframework.ca
Use the “Power of 10” materials developed by the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association to spread the word about hospice palliative care in your communities. These materials can be found here: www.chpca.net/week
Spread the materials developed for this year’s campaign “Hospice Palliative Care First” found here: www.chpca.net/hpcfirst "
Lessons for the #Living: On #Dying and Dinner Parties @elderlyprograms #hpm
Observing the Wish to #Die at #Home. #hpm
“We often hear from family members that they find great value in our Guide for Family Caregivers, detailed information on how to handle such common end-of-life symptoms as breathing problems, pain, changes in behavior and sleeplessness. The piece details several signs that may signal a loved one is transitioning from life to death, such as no appetite or urine output, and changes in breathing sounds and patterns.
We encourage people to be a calm presence, to hold the loved ones hand, to call in others who wish to be present, as well as call Hospice for support. Hearing is the final sense to go, so we encourage family members to continue speaking to their loved one, reassuring that everything is all right.
‘What we are trying to do is normalize what they are going through,’ says Joel. Death, after all, is not an aberration but a universal end we all one day meet. ‘We want the family members to know what the very end of life looks like and what they can do when the time comes. What can they do? Literally, just hold your loved one’s hand’.”
#Memories of a #Caregiver - Honoring Voices: Walking Alongside The #Caregiver. #hpm
In Part 2 of our "Honored Voices" series, we listen to bereaved caregivers and support professionals and what can be learned from their experience. This video is designed for those who are currently supporting caregivers or those who have experienced the loss of a loved one.
Why we need better #end-of-life #policies in #seniors’ residences. #LTC
“How we die is regularly in the headlines as we await government legislation to be tabled in response to the 2015 Supreme Court of Canada decision legalizing physician-assisted dying. Palliative care gets less attention, but it is what most of us will want at the end of life: drugs to relieve agitation, pain, agonal breathing and other symptoms. Nurses can provide soothing medications, but only after doctors have issued prescriptions, often with increasing dosages. But as the Crosbie family discovered, doctors are few and far between in long-term care facilities, especially on weekends. Their experience is a cautionary tale.”
A #Daughter Pays Homage to Her #Parents With an Intimate Look at #Love and #Loss. @nancyborowick #hpm
"One can only truly understand and appreciate life when faced with one’s own mortality. Nobody wants to talk about death, but it is one of the only things that is certain in life, so an awareness of this finitude allowed my family to take advantage of the time we had left together. “Cancer Family, Ongoing” is the story of family, looking at the experiences of two parents who were in parallel treatment for stage four cancer, side by side. The project looks at love and life in the face of death. It honors my parents’ memory by focusing on their strength and love, both individually and together, and shares the story of their final chapters, which came to a close just 364 days apart from one another."
The Meaning of #Life: #Palliative #Care Makes Every Moment Count. #hpm
"For someone facing a serious, chronic illness, the answers to that question take on a sharp focus. A patient with heart disease might want enough energy to walk around the neighborhood. A cancer survivor may want to feel like herself again after rounds of chemotherapy. Others might have a goal of seeing their children get married—or perhaps to get married themselves.
Helping patients get the most out of life is the aim of palliative care—which could surprise some people who associate the specialty with hospice, or care delivered in the final days and hours. Palliative care services do indeed benefit people nearing the end of their journey, but the field has become much broader over time. Many patients with a life-threatening disease now start receiving palliative care early—sometimes soon after diagnosis..."
On #Widower Watch. #hpm @otherspoon
"Marking family and personal occasions in this way has become increasingly important to all of us; these events intersect long, quiet weeks with laughter and company. And here’s the often unacknowledged benefit to keeping watch on a widower: With my grandparents dead and my friends all around my age, he diversifies my social life as much as I do his. He gives me a perspective on the city we live in that my peers simply don’t have. We spend our time together talking about our dissimilar lives and the things that matter to us, reminiscing about his many rich years, and looking up old poems in the vast library that lines the walls of his house. He is my friend and I miss him when I am away. As it turns out, nonagenarians are good company".