National Bereavement Day – November 19, 2019
Children's Grief Awareness Day – November 21, 2019
Please take some time to celebrate the life of loved ones who have died, and also use this week to remember and support grieving people. Reaching out is really important, as we tend to think grief is uncommon and inconsequential. Nothing could be further from the truth. On any given day, 78% of adult Albertans feel some grief, as grief often takes 18-24 months to pass. It has been three months since the sudden death of my significant other. Although I am still grieving hard, I am so very grateful for all the help and support I have received from friends and family.
I am mindful that others are grieving his death. This includes three wonderful people who gave CPR to a stranger. I am sure that they did all they could. Their call for help quickly brought three firemen and paramedics who tried their best to revive him. I am also very grateful that nurses and doctors at the Royal Alexandra Hospital ER greeted me with care and helped me through the first overwhelming hours of grief.
We all know the adage that it takes a village to raise a child; it also takes a village to help grieving people recover. Many people do not know what to do about grief though. The AHPCA and Canadian Virtual Hospice have helpful online resources on grief, with these oriented to one’s own grief and also to helping others who are grieving
Donna Wilson – Past Chair, AHPCA board
Recipient of the 2019 Dr. Donna Wilson Caregiver Award
AHPCA is proud to facilitate the Dr. Donna Wilson Caregiver Award, which recognizes the vital importance of informal palliative caregivers across Alberta.
This year, we are delighted to introduce the 2019 Dr. Donna Wilson Caregiver Award recipient, Joyce Skopik.
Take a moment to read Joyce’s story and consider the informal, unpaid palliative caregivers you know. Mark your calendars for September 2020, when AHPCA will once again be accepting nominations!
AHPCA's Imagine 2019 Conference a Sunny Success
Recently, AHPCA brought together over 40 representatives from 20 hospice palliative care groups from across Alberta at the Imagine 2019 conference. This annual event is a chance for groups to network and learn, and strengthen Alberta’s hospice palliative care community in doing so.
After facing two years of November blizzards and frightening road conditions, we are pleased to report that moving the event into October meant clear roads and even sunshine for participants.
Read all about what happened at Imagine 2019!
Does Your Hospice Society want to Participate in the Nav-CARE Program?
The Nav-CARE Program (Navigation – Connecting, Accessing, Resourcing and Engaging) builds upon years of collaborative work with community, provincial, and national knowledge partners in the area of upstream palliative care.
The overall goal of the Nav-CARE program is to improve the quality of life of seniors living at home. With Nav-CARE, specially trained volunteer navigators conduct regular visits with clients in the home. Nav-CARE volunteers work with seniors to improve their quality of life. These are the things that seniors identify that would “make their life more liveable.” They are often the little things in life that make a big difference.
Nav-CARE is truly a community-based program with 18 sites currently implementing across Canada. It was designed to be implemented in any community no matter how big or small or how rural or urban. There are, however, two key ingredients required for any community interested in setting up a Nav-CARE program. These are:
Resources (e.g., dedicated time for community engagement, leading, planning and implementing the program, experienced volunteers, etc.)
Linkages to local social and health networks (e.g., community stakeholders, social services, physicians, primary care nurses, etc.)
Included in your participation in the program is validated evaluation measures and processes. The research team is responsible for identifying important time points for evaluation and for aggregating and analyzing evaluation data. The organization is responsible for providing the evaluation tools to clients and family at the time designated by the research team and for returning those tools in the self-addressed envelopes provided.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Nav-CARE implementation site please contact either:
Barb Pesut PhD, RN, School of Nursing, University of British Columbia
barb.pesut@ubc.ca or 250-807-9955
Wendy Duggleby PhD, RN, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta
wendy.duggleby@ualberta.ca or 780-492-8660
AHPCA Relocation Announcement
On August 1, 2019, the Alberta Hospice Palliative Care Association office moved to:
Kahanoff Centre for Charitable Activities
#110, 105 12 Ave SE
Calgary, AB T2G 1A1
If you are in the area, please drop in to say hello! Our new office is on the main floor, across from the elevators. There are two large, surface parking lots on both the north and south side of the Kahanoff Centre. We are in the office Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
AHPCA Self-Care Video Series
AHPCA invites you to share these videos with your clients, friends, colleagues or family who might benefit.
These short videos are a resource for people who need answers but do not have easy access to help.
Topics:
Vicarious Trauma – What is it?
Vicarious Trauma – Dealing with it
Vicarious Trauma – Seek support
Compassion Fatigue – What is it?
Rituals & Grief – No rules
Personal Rituals
Self Care Moment – Colouring
Self Care Moment – Grounding
Using relaxation and stress reduction exercises are an excellent way to feel better in the moment. Many of us have anxiety and that feeling intensifies when we are in distress. Relaxing changes that response. The body and mind are closely linked; relaxing the body relaxes the mind.
Take a few minutes to escape on a mental vacation. Breathe deeply and choose a Relaxation Moment (length of video is in brackets).
Topics:
Introduction to Relaxation Moments
Relaxation Moment Morning at Hauula, Oahu (1:33)
Relaxation Moment: A Stroll Along Waikiki Beach (3:45)
Relaxation Moment: Fountains of Waikiki (2:52)
Relaxation Moment: North Shore Waves on Oahu (2:26)
Relaxation Moment: Streams at Waimea Park (2:57)
Relaxation Moment: Waikiki Waves (2:50)
Relaxation Moment: Sunset at Ala Moana (10:43)
Online Resource Directory
Services vary across the province and we have found that many Albertans feel isolated and uninformed during this very vulnerable time of their lives. Albertans have told us that they want an accessible user friendly online Resource Directory specializing in palliative and end of life care services throughout Alberta.
AHPCA has received a grant from the Eldon and Anne Foote Fund at Edmonton Community Foundation to research, develop and host this online palliative directory data base. It incorporates a province wide data base with an easy to use interactive map.
Membership
The Alberta Hospice Palliative Care Association (AHPCA) endeavours to represent the voice of the palliative care consumers, professionals and volunteers in Alberta. We believe that all Albertans have the right to equitable access to end of life care, and we promote participation through the building of partnerships, collaboration and innovation.
Your membership in the AHPCA automatically entitles you to membership with the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA).
As a joint member you will receive: palliative care news, AHPCA updates, CHPCA newsletters, reduced conference and workshop rates, and an opportunity to add your voice to our advocacy efforts on behalf of all Albertans.
