FREE Death Café at the David Braley Health Sciences Centre, McMaster University

In celebration of Advance Care Planning Day 2024, I am honoured to co-facilitate a FREE Death Café at the David Braley Health Sciences Centre, together with Dr. Alan Taniguchi, McMaster University on behalf of The 100% Certainty Project. Death: Something to Talk About.

Registration is required for this FREE Death Café on Wednesday March 27th (6-8pm) via Eventbrite

Death Café is an international movement where people, often strangers, gather to eat, drink tea 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. Please note that Death Café is NOT a grief support group, nor is this a grief counselling session.

Death Café is a respectful, public event where people of all communities and belief systems are welcome to have respectful discussions about death.

Interesting conversation is guaranteed! For more information, please visit Death Café

Today is World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (#WHPCDay23)

Today is World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (#WHPCDay23).

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is an annual unified day of action to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world.

WHPCD has been marked every year on Saturday October 14th to advocate for better hospice and palliative care services around the world. The WHPCD theme for 2023 is Compassionate Communities.

Together for Palliative Care Compassionate Communities care for people, assist people to live in the place they call home, connect people to services, and raise #awareness about end-of-life issues.

We believe that palliative care working alongside compassionate communities multiplies the ability to respond to the needs of the most #vulnerable in our communities.

For more information, please visit The Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA)

Palliative Care In-Depth Online Workshop

As faculty at McMaster University and a certified LEAP™ facilitator, I am again honoured to join my colleagues from the Division of Palliative Care at McMaster University to facilitate the Palliative Care In-Depth Online Workshop combining the curriculum of Pallium Canada’s LEAP™ In-Depth with McMaster University 3 Days in Palliative Care.

This is a unique opportunity for healthcare professionals to continue learning about the palliative care approach and focus on different disease conditions and topics. The session schedule is designed to allow for national participation and clinical commitments.

This workshop has been developed for online delivery in partnership between Pallium and the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University. Sessions are facilitated by McMaster University faculty who are LEAP™ certified facilitators and experienced palliative care clinicians and educators.

TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE:
• Recap of the palliative care approach
• Unique situations
• Transitions in long-term care
• Heart diseases and advanced liver
• In-depth communication
• Renal and neurological diseases

Please contact support@pallium.ca with any questions about the course, or to register.
Want to learn more about Pallium Canada or LEAP™? Visit pallium.ca

It is National Hospice Palliative Care Week in Canada

The first full week of May marks National Hospice Palliative Care Week in Canada. Palliative care is person-centered care. That means, in part, that wherever there is a person with a life-limiting illness, palliative care can be provided. If someone is facing significant health-related suffering because of a life-limiting illness, palliative care can help regardless of the setting of care, regardless of a person’s illness or prognosis, regardless of their postal code. Palliative care is an approach that aims to alleviate the suffering of people facing a life-limiting illness. It can be provided in any setting – from hospice, to long-term care, to hospital, to home.

While access to palliative care has improved over recent years, the latest data shows that only 58% of Canadians who died in 2021-2022 received palliative care, usually in a hospital. The “Palliative Care Everywhere” campaign highlights that there are no limits on where a palliative approach to care can be provided and reminds us that wherever people face life-limiting illnesses, end-of-life, and grief, there must also be a place for palliative care.

"This week, we celebrate the indispensable and compassionate care provided by health care workers, volunteers, unpaid caregivers and many others across Canada. The impact of palliative care on a person’s quality of life and on their family is profoundly meaningful, and every person with a life-limiting illness deserves to receive this level of care," said Laurel Gillespie, CEO of CHPCA. “Sadly, less than 60% of Canadians who died last year received care from the discipline that specializes, in part, in caring for the dying. It is time for everyone in Canada to come together to build a future where ‘Palliative Care Everywhere’ is true in every postal code.” Source: CHPCA

Medical Education: Honouring life, love, loss and legacy at McMaster University

Incredibly honoured to facilitate the Annual Dr. Barbara Tatham Memorial Lecture & thank her sisters Erica, Deanna & Laura for joining us to demystify grief, honour loss & explore healing while caring for others and ourselves. Honouring Dr. Tatham's life, legacy and brilliant contributions to Medical Education at McMaster University.

Honouring person and family-centred care is ESSENTIAL from time of diagnosis, throughout treatment, into remission, at end-of-life, and into bereavement.

A cancer diagnosis is traumatizing. Finding community, support and connection is essential in the face of trauma. Stories of others moving through trauma are always important in post-traumatic growth (Tedeschi & Calhoun). Strength is often correlated, almost paradoxically, following an increased sense of being vulnerable - of being human.

Today, please take a moment to connect with your breath, honour your strengths and make space for who and what matters most in your life. ❤️

Today is the Annual #TerryFoxRun. To support Dr. Tatham's life, legacy and indomitable spirit in the face of cancer, please donate to #TeamBarb https://run.terryfox.ca/team/teambarb

C. Elizabeth Dougherty Consulting Spring Newsletter

Loss in the Time of COVID: Exploring the Impact of Grief

Honoured to deliver Loss in the Time of COVID: Exploring the Impact of Grief as the Keynote address at Trillium Health Partners in support of National Hospice Palliative Care Week in Canada.

My sincere gratitude to everyone who joined our discussion via Zoom, for sharing time, reflections and energy - and for acknowledging the impact of trauma, loss and grief for healthcare providers as we continue to serve so many facing trauma, loss and grief during the pandemic.

Best Oral Paper Award at #HPCO2022!

Incredibly honoured as the Clinical Lead to receive the Best Oral Paper Award at #HPCO2022 Hospice Palliative Care Ontario Annual Provincial Conference with our incredible interprofessional team: Ann Vander Berg, Allyson Oliphant, and champion for our project - Dr. Andrea Folic for "Care Beyond Walls: Innovation, Implementation and Evaluation of a Medical Assistance in Dying-Specific Bereavement Support Group for Caregivers"

Exploring the Role of Social Work in Palliative Care

So grateful to speak with my friends and colleagues Drs. Hsien Seow and Sammy Winemaker on their podcast The Waiting Room Revolution.

We explored the role of Social Work in Palliative Care, the value of proactive and compassionate person and family-centred support following diagnosis of any serious illness, exploring loss and grief through to end-of-life and bereavement, creating space for essential conversations, and the healing power of silence.

Follow their podcast for essential tips and tools to navigate the healthcare system following diagnosis of a serious illness. To listen to our conversation, click here

Supporting children and youth who have a family member with an advanced serious illness

Supporting children and youth who have a family member with an advanced serious illness via NACG The Dougy Center & KinderCare

At some point, we all encounter a child or teen who is living with the anxiety of a family member’s life-limiting illness. You can have the opportunity to be a support person, providing empathy as they face the serious illness, grief, loss and perhaps death, of a family member.

Some considerations include: Listen, Acknowledge, Understand, Provide Consistency, Help, Safety, Provide Resources

Source: https://childrengrieve.org/12-resource/309-resources-2

C. Elizabeth Dougherty Consulting - Winter 2022 Newsletter

I am honoured to share my winter 2022 newsletter with free resources for individuals and families of all ages facing a complex illness, following diagnosis through to bereavement.

I am also grateful to also share teaching experiences including: undergraduate and graduate Social Work Education; undergraduate interdisciplinary education; and Interprofessional Education for healthcare providers and volunteers exploring informed conversations, honouring person and family-centred care, demystifying grief, and advocating for high-quality palliative care.

C. Elizabeth Dougherty Consulting - Fall 2021 Newsletter

I am honoured to share my Fall 2021 newsletter including resources for individuals and families of all ages facing a complex illness, following diagnosis through to bereavement. I am also grateful to also share my teaching experiences including: undergraduate and graduate Social Work Education; undergraduate Medical Education; and Interprofessional Education for healthcare providers exploring informed conversations, honouring person and family-centred care, demystifying grief, and advocating for palliative care.

Myths about Palliative Care

It is so important to demystify the incredible scope and breadth of Palliative and end of life Care. For National Hospice Palliative Care Week in Canada (May 2nd- 8th), I am re-posting a great resource from CVH - an incredible source of evidence-informed Hospice Palliative Care resources for individuals, families, healthcare providers or volunteers serving anyone facing life-limiting illness, grief and bereavement. 

An infographic about 10 myths that are often encountered in Palliative Care (also available in French, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Catalan, Chinese, Cree, Hebrew, Inuinnaqtun, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Tagalog).

Source: Canadian Virtual Hospice

Demystifying Hospice Palliative Care is essential!

National Hospice Palliative Care Week in Canada is May 2nd-8th, 2021.

Proactive and equitable access to Hospice Palliative Care is not standard, with barriers (including a lack of education, funding and research) contributing to the myths that impact delivering high-quality person and family-centred collaborative care. Integrated support for loss, grief and bereavement is lacking.

Did you know....

-Between 62% and 89% of those who die could benefit from palliative care, including nearly everyone who does not die unexpectedly

- 51% of the children who died in 2012 only received Paediatric Palliative Care for the last 30 days of their lives

-62% of Canadians who received palliative care did so in an acute care hospital in their last month of life

-Few Canadians (15%) have early access to palliative care in the community

-80% of the time, palliative care was provided during admission was unplanned or through an emergency department  

-Canadians between the ages of 45 and 74 are more likely than younger adults and older seniors to receive palliative care

-There are ~88 residential hospices and the majority require a prognosis of <3 months to be admitted

Source: CHPCA Fact Sheet 2021 

For more information, please visit the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association

C. Elizabeth Dougherty Consulting Newsletter Winter 2021

Honoured to share my Winter 2021 newsletter including resources for individuals and families of all ages facing a complex illness, from diagnosis through to bereavement. Grateful to also share undergraduate and graduate Social Work education, along with medical education and interprofessional education for healthcare providers demystifying palliative care.

C. Elizabeth Dougherty Consulting 2020 Newsletter

Loss in the time of COVID: Exploring the Impact of Grief in the Year of the Nurse

I am deeply grateful to Nurses everywhere - for all that you do for so many and am truly honoured to join the compassionate clinicians in the Palliative Care Nurses Interest Group for the Registered Nurses'​ Association of Ontario (RNAO) virtual AGM on June 11th 2020 to present “Loss in the time of COVID: Exploring the Impact of Grief in the Year of the Nurse”.

COVID-19 Response – Free, Online Palliative Care Modules from Pallium Canada

Enhance your knowledge, skills, and practice in providing high-quality palliative care with these free, self-directed modules.

Pallium, in collaboration with the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), is providing access to essential education on palliative care for all health care professionals in response to this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. In these difficult times, it is more important than ever that all health care providers are equipped with the essential skills to provide compassionate, palliative care to patients in need.

Available modules

These modules are self-directed and completed at your own pace:

• Taking Ownership

• Advance Care Planning

• Decision-Making

• Managing Dyspnea

• Palliative Sedation

• Last Days and Hours

Additional Information

Pallium and CMA are making these 6 Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care (LEAP) modules available online for free to all health care professionals for 3 months (March 30 – June 30, 2020). These modules will help provide health care teams with an introduction to the palliative care approach focused on the important knowledge and skills required during the COVID-19 pandemic response. The modules are currently only available in English.

The Pallium Palliative Pocketbook can be found here. This best-selling book is a practical, one-stop resource with easily accessible information to help non-specialist physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and social workers provide a palliative care approach when needed.

Additional learning opportunities to help you expand your knowledge in palliative care can be found on Our Courses page, including our newly available LEAP Online course.

Have any questions? Email anytime at: info@pallium.ca

Source: Pallium Canada

Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care (RENAL)

So wonderful facilitating Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care (LEAP) - RENAL for the Nephrology Fellows at McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences with my incredible colleagues from the Division of Palliative Care at McMaster University.

Pallium Canada offers award-winning Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care (LEAP) courses providing practical, inter-professional and evidence-based training and tools in the palliative care approach across multiple health care settings and specialty areas. Source: Pallium Canada

For information on LEAP courses, visit: https://www.pallium.ca/courses/

Function in the Midst of Dysfunction: Supporting Families Facing Serious Illness