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.
Today is Children's Grief Awareness Day (#GGAD)
CGAD is designed to help us all become more aware of the needs of grieving children teens and families — and of the benefits they obtain through the support of others. Children's Grief Awareness Day is an opportunity to make sure that grieving children receive the support they need.
Before they graduate from high school, one child out of every 20 children will have a parent die - and that number doesn't include those who experience the death of a brother or sister, a close grandparent, an aunt or uncle, or friend.
Grieving children often feel set apart, different from their peers, alone and not understood. Every school and every community has children who have experienced some type of loss. Even if they keep their loss and experience to themselves, there are many children who are grieving among us.
These children can be helped to not feel so alone. Children and adults together can show their support for grieving children and show their awareness of what grieving children might be going through by participating in Children's Grief Awareness Day.
Source: CGAD. For more information or resources, visit: https://www.childrensgriefawarenessday.org/cgad2/about/index.shtml
DID YOU KNOW???? On CGAD, the CN Tower / La Tour CN will be illuminated in blue to raise awareness of this important issue
November 17th is National Bereavement Day 2020 in Canada
Grief and bereavement support is an essential element of care for individuals and families of all ages.
This year, the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) invites Canadians on a shared journey that fosters compassion and encourages them to cope with their grief by supporting each other through living and grieving. We might be physically distant, but grief brings us together. We learn to live with the loss and grief in ways that maintain and honour our bond with the person who died but don’t limit our capacity for joy, pleasure and a meaningful life. At this trying time, we might be physically distant, but we are emotionally, spiritually and socially connected through our grief. Source: CHPCA
For more information, visit: CHPCA
In support of Movember, a free webinar demystifying Advance Care Planning for Men with Prostate Cancer
In support of Movember Canada & TrueNTH, am sharing a free webinar demystifying Advance Care Planning for Men with Prostate Cancer.
Facing prostate cancer is difficult enough. But advance care planning (ACP) can give your loved ones the confidence and peace of mind to make healthcare decisions for you if you are unable to communicate for yourself. This webinar will provide information about why ACP is important, and a step-by-step guide to advance care planning.
The purpose of this workshop is to:
- Provide an overview of ACP
- Foster understanding as to why ACP is important for anyone facing prostate cancer,
- Help men with prostate cancer, their partners and families learn the steps involved in the ACP process, and how to start these conversations,
- Explore some free ACP resources from Advance Care Planning Canada
The free webinar can be accessed via https://vimeo.com/189996475
C. Elizabeth Dougherty Consulting 2020 Newsletter
The Saturation of Grief in the time of COVID, Honouring Loss and Exploring Healing
Honoured to present "The Saturation of Grief in the time of COVID, Honouring Loss and Exploring Healing" for Ethics and Diversity Grand Rounds organized by Ethics & Care Ecologies Program at Hamilton Health Sciences with Dr. Andrea Frolic.
Exploring universal yet unique experiences of loss and grief in healthcare, alongside the stigma, and creating brave spaces for healing is essential - for ALL involved - especially now.
Caring for the Caregiver: Recognizing the Impact of Vicarious Trauma on Helpers and Strategies for Self-Care
Am truly honoured to be offering the Plenary Session “Caring for the Caregiver: Recognizing the Impact of Vicarious Trauma on Helpers and Strategies for Self-Care“ for the Annual Children’s Grief Awareness Symposium at Lighthouse Centre for Grieving Children, Youth and Families.
For information or to register, please visit: https://www.grievingchildrenlighthouse.org/index.php/news-and-events/upcoming-events/104-events/upcoming-events/events-2019/482-grief-symposium-2019#live-session-descriptions
About the Lighthouse Centre for Grieving Children, Youth and Families:
“The Lighthouse provides a place where children, teens, and their parents and guardians who have experienced a life changing death loss can come together to be part of a community. Through participation in facilitated peer groups, they find understanding, stability and support.
Any child or teen, ages 3-19, who has experienced the death of an immediate family member or very close friend can join a group. Parents and guardians are welcome to attend the adult peer support groups which are offered at the same time as the children/teen groups.
Often, family members feel the need to protect one other from their feelings. At The Lighthouse, children and youth have their own space where they can feel safe to share their feelings with peers who have also experienced a life changing death. This expression of feelings, thoughts and experiences helps them reach an understanding of their loss and builds hope and encouragement for their future.”
Source: Lighthouse
To donate to the Lighthouse Centre for Grieving Children, Youth and Families, please visit: https://www.grievingchildrenlighthouse.org/index.php/support-us
Death Cafe for healthcare professionals, health science students or healthcare volunteers
Excited to be facilitating another Death Cafe for the Division of Palliative Care, McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University.
If you are a Healthcare Provider, Health Science Student, Hospice Palliative Care Volunteer or Funeral Service Employee, this Death Cafe is specifically for you!
A Death Cafe is a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session. The objective is 'to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives'. Source: Death Cafe
Please join us at this FREE event at the David Braley Health Sciences Centre on Wednesday, July 24th from 6-8pm as part of our Public Health Palliative Care Elective.
Please help spread the word. While the event is free, registration is required via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/death-cafe-tickets-62361840945?fbclid=IwAR2aqlWTC8CcDPU4TKspXU3hZC65Om4ZxZZikvgh9ztqz3TEUe9GJcFLJ00
#BustingTheMyths about Hospice Palliative Care
It’s Hospice Palliative Care Week in Canada.
The campaign (May 5th – 11th) this year focuses on #BustingTheMyths about Hospice Palliative Care
This year, the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) designed a “Busting the Myths” campaign as a response to the need to educate Canadians including caregivers, physicians and all healthcare providers, citizens and political leaders around common myths about hospice palliative care.
The #BustingTheMyths campaign aims to empower Canadians through education by identifying and clarifying misperceptions about Hospice Palliative Care in Canada.
Working together to educate one another is a vital step in the pursuit of excellent Hospice PalliativeCare.
Source: CHPCA Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
April 2nd is National Carers Day
About National Carers Day
In April 2010, the Parliament of Canada unanimously adopted a motion declaring the first Tuesday in April “The Invisible Work Day.” This day was designated to recognize the importance of the “invisible” unpaid work carried out by parents and caregivers on behalf of their children and aging family members, as well as the volunteer work done in the community. Recognizing that caregivers come from all walks of life and take on many roles, the first Tuesday in April is a special day where we can recognize all caring Canadians.
#NationalCarersDay
EXPLORING GRIEF AND LOSS LITERACY: SUPPORTING AND EMPOWERING SCHOOL COMMUNITIES
Am thrilled to be offering a full-day of training on Feb. 1st for the Halton District School Board on “EXPLORING GRIEF AND LOSS LITERACY: SUPPORTING AND EMPOWERING SCHOOL COMMUNITIES”
Will be honoured to be present with so many professionals as we spend the day exploring:
- Grief and Loss Literacy (related to dying, death and non-death losses)
- Stigma Related to Illness, Dying, Grief
- The Dialogue of Loss
- Support Across School Communities
- Promoting Capacity & Engagement
- Opportunities for Self-Care
Looking forward to sharing some brilliant resources!
Free Family Event Celebrating Life, Death and Meaningful Connections
Grief and Loss impacts Everyone.
Am honoured to co-host and co-facilitate this free public event. In support of Children's Grief Awareness Day and National Bereavement Day, "The 100% Certainty Project – Death: Something to Talk About" is hosting a FREE public event for parents and children at the Hamilton Public Library. Please join us for:
- a reading of the children’s book The Funeral by Matt James, award-winning Author
- a creative family activity exploring grief, loss and meaningful connections
- grief and bereavement resources from Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association & Canadian Virtual Hospice
CBC Books on The Funeral: "This sensitive and life-affirming story will lead young readers to ask their own questions about life, death and how we remember those who have gone before us"
Please note, this is not a counselling session or grief support group.
While this is a free event, registration is REQUIRED via: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/free-public-event-for-parents-and-children-on-grief-and-bereavement-tickets-50531981517
Exploring the Language of Loss: Caring, Supporting and Empowering
Honoured to offer "Exploring the Language of Loss: Caring, Supporting and Empowering" as the Opening Keynote for the PalCare Network 2018 Fall Symposium.
This workshop will explore the language of loss while also examining tools and resources to support individuals, families, and ourselves.
Objectives:
1. Examine the impact of loss in person and family-centred care
2. Encourage the caregiver to engage in the dialogue of loss
3. Explore self-care as an essential element of professional practice
For more information about the PalCare 2018 Fall Symposium, or to register, please visit: http://www.palcarenetwork.org/
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/
End Game Documentary and Discussion
Excited to co-host and participate on the panel for the launch of the 2018-9 season of "The 100% Certainty Project. Death: Something to Talk About". Join us for a screening of the Netflix documentary, "END GAME" followed by a conversation with Palliative Care clinicians.
Our free public event at McMaster University features the brilliant documentary "End Game" from Shoshana Ungerleider, MD highlighting the essential tenets of Hospice Palliative Care. The film showcases the collaboration, compassion and communication as the heart of person and family-centred care at UCSF Medical Center with Steven Pantilat and the extraordinary interprofessional team. The film also highlights the brilliant work of Zen Hospice Project, showcasing Dr. BJ Miller and the extraordinary interprofessional team in Hospice.
Please join us for this engaging event! While the event is free, registration is required via Eventbrite via https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/end-game-documentary-and-discussion-tickets-50535681584
Almost all Canadians would benefit from palliative care. Only one in seven can actually access it at end-of-life
“The key to providing decent palliative care is a little bit of basic planning. Four conditions – cancer, cardiovascular disease, COPD (lung disease) and diabetes – account for 70 per cent of deaths.
Those chronic conditions all have fairly predictable courses of illness in the terminal phase. You don’t get diagnosed with lung cancer or heart failure one day and die the next. It’s a months-long process and providing pain relief (palliation) should be standard, and a priority.
Two in three people receive home care in their last year of life. But only one in seven receive palliative care in the home.
That’s the failure point – and that’s what we need to fix.
There needs to be a commitment – philosophical and financial – to bringing palliative care to patients when they need it and where they want it.
Not everyone can (or should) be cared for at home in their final days. It’s back-breaking, emotionally-draining work for loved ones. Yet many would do so willingly and lovingly.
But they run up against a gross number of barriers, ranging from difficultly getting home visits from physicians (who are poorly remunerated for that work in many provinces), lack of nursing support (because of caps on home care hours), and absurd rules that mean drugs taken at home are not covered by medicare.
All the problems raised by the CIHI report are easily resolved. For example, having paramedics provide palliative care can eliminate transfers to hospitals. Sending doctors and nurses to homes or nursing homes can free up hospital beds – and save money in the process. Not to mention that, at the very least, people deserve a modicum of dignity in their dying days.
The whole point of palliative care is to improve quality of life. We shouldn’t let bureaucratic and structural inadequacies undermine that necessary and noble work.“ by the brilliant André Picard via The Globe and Mail
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
Support for individuals and families across Canada facing Pancreatic Cancer
Am honoured to be part of this brilliant new initiative offering free support to anyone facing Pancreatic Cancer across Canada. This initiative is a collaboration between Pancreatic Cancer Canada Foundation and Wellspring Cancer Support Network
For more information, or to access support, please visit: https://wellspring.ca/online-resources/pancreatic-cancer-peer-support/
The Gift of a Hug for a Grieving Child or Teen
Receiving a #Hug from a loved one is an incredible connection. Giving hand-knitted Hugs to #grieving #kids and #teens facing the dying or death of a loved one is a wonderful gift.
These #knitted Memory Scarves were made by #volunteers with Canadian Virtual Hospice in support of KidsGrief.ca providing a loving Hug and free resources to grieving kids, teens and families facing dying, grief and loss.
For more information, please visit: http://kidsgrief.ca/
Extremis Documentary and Discussion
Excited to co-host our next free public event with the Department of Family Medicine, Division of Palliative Care at McMaster University. This evening is part of our compassionate community initiative, “The 100% Certainty Project. Death: Something to Talk About". We will: feature the book “Extreme Measures" by Dr. Jessica Nutik Zitter; view the remarkable Oscar-nominated documentary “Extremis” from Shoshana Ungerleider, MD; provide Advance Care Planning resources from the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association; and close the evening with a panel discussion comprised of clinicians and educators. This free public event in support of National Advance Care Planning Day. To register, please visit: Eventbrite