eNews: Spotlight on What to Say?

ENEWS -- September 2013

SPOTLIGHT ON
WHAT TO SAY?

When death or serious illness is part of someone's life, our words to them can make a difference. We want to say the right thing. Whether you are a family member, health care provider or friend, finding the right words can be difficult. Most of us just aren't sure what is the right thing to say. In this issue, we have suggestions and support from people who've been there.

For Professionals
PALLIATIVE CARE AND THE HUMAN CONNECTION: TEN STEPS FOR WHAT TO SAY AND DO

Noted palliative care physician Dr. Diane E. Meier says talking to patients and families about the end of life is a medical procedure, and like any other procedure it requires training and practice. In this video she offers steps to help with both training and practice. (5:53 minutes)

For Everyone
WHAT DO I SAY? WHAT DO I DO?

The Virtual Hospice team has two articles to ease the connection with someone who is ill. What Do I Say? highlights the value of following the other person's cues. Tips for Visiting can make both you and the person you're visiting more comfortable.

For Professionals
EXPERTS SHARE TIPS

Breaking bad news - Dr. Stephen Liben's work with dying children leads him to highlight physician discomfort and its effect on conversations. (2:35 minutes)
Talking with patients and families: Challenges and tips - Dr. Romayne Gallagher's wealth of experience offers insights into physician-patient conversations. (7:12 minutes)
How to Have an End-Of-Life Conversation - Dr. Atul Gawande tells how he started his education in end-of-life conversations. (3:02 minutes)

For Professionals
COMMUNICATION TOOLS FOR YOUR PRACTICE

Communication with patients and families - This powerpoint presentation by Virtual Hospice's Dr. Mike Harlos takes you through the basics of communication in palliative care.
Clinical Communication in Hospice Palliative Care - This Pallium Project teaching and learning guide is available from the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association.
I Don't Know What to Say - Robert Buckman's book remains a popular guide to facing the difficult connections around death.
Knowing What to Say - This book by Oceanna Hall on spiritual conversations at end of life is available through Alberta Health Service.
Oncotalk - This University of Washington website is designed to improve physicians' communication skills.

For Everyone
TALKING WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH ABOUT SERIOUS ILLNESS

This article by Virtual Hospice's Simone Stenekes CNS, and Susan McClement PhD, offers suggestions to ease the difficult but necessary talks with young people about someone's illness or death.

For Everyone
STORIES AND SUPPORT FROM THE GALLERY

First Nations teaching: Listen with the eyes, ears and heart - Rosella Kinoshameg explains how this teaching can guide you in the presence of someone who is dying. (2:30 minutes)
Supporting someone who is grieving - Moira Cairns, recently retired from Victoria Hospice and Centre on Aging in Victoria, has practical advice for talking with someone in grief. (1:48 minutes)
The Unspoken - Jason van Genderen finds a moving way to talk to his father using the open-hearted words we usually save for funerals. (3:45 minutes)

For Everyone
COMMUNICATION ASKED AND ANSWERED

Canadians send our Ask a Professional team many questions about difficult conversations. We have posted more than a dozen answers. A few examples:

My dad doesn’t talk about his illness. How can I talk to him about dying? Read our answer.
A friend has been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. We’re not really close, but we get along well. Is it appropriate to reach out to her? How should I do that? Read our answer.
My wife is dying of cancer. What do I say to people who ask how we’re doing? Read our answer.

For Everyone
YOUR STORIES: MAKING MARY BEAUTIFUL ONE LAST TIME

This is one woman's story about fear of visiting someone who was approaching death and how it turned out.

For Everyone
RESOURCES TO HELP YOU FIND THE WORDS

Helping a friend who is dying at home - In this article Dr. Alan Wolfelt notes that just listening often matters more than talking when someone is dying.
How to visit the sick - Rabbi David Wolpe shares ten suggestions for visiting.
What to say/not say to ill or grieving friends - Tips from Rabbi Wolpe to help you make a connection.

NEW ON VIRTUAL HOSPICE

The Exchange
MAXIMIZING LIFE FORCES IN THE DYING

In a new article at The Exchange, Dr. Michael Gordon, MD, MSc, FRCPC, shares what he has learned from his patients in his career in palliative and geriatric medicine. At the core of the article is a moving story about an old sheep farmer who he cared for when he was still an intern in Scotland.

ASKED AND ANSWERED - FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS!

Watch for a new feature next month on Virtual Hospice. Building on the popularity of Asked and Answered for the public, we will launch Asked and Answered for Professionals in October. We’ve selected 50 common questions from more than 700 asked by health care providers that our team has received from health care providers, and we've posted our answers. Find this under the For Professionals tab this fall.

The Exchange
NOW WITH CONFERENCE POSTERS

New at The Exchange, new and cutting-edge information from conference posters. Submit your posters by email. Currently on the site:

Use of Intranasal Fentanyl in Palliative Care of Newborns and Infants - Lead author, Dr. Mike Harlos, MD, CCFP, FCFP
The Making of Ed's Story: The Dragon Chronicles - Lead author, Meenakshi Natarajan, BSc, MSc, MD, CCFP
Theatre as a Teaching Tool for medical students with respect to paediatric cancer: Development and Integration into Core Undergraduate Curriculum - Lead author, Paul D'Alessandro, BSc Hons, MSc, MD Candidate
Development of a Survey to Assess Health Care Provider Knowledge, Competency and Attitudes about Perinatal Palliative Care - Lead author, Simone Stenekes, RN, MN, CHPCN(C), CNS

Your Stories
LAMENT

Cathie Borrie shares a Lament for her thirteen-year-old brother, processing the past to come to terms with his death.

NEWS

IN MEMORY OF DR. LARRY LIBRACH

Virtual Hospice joins those expressing sadness at the death of Dr. Larry Librach last month from pancreatic cancer. Larry was one of the palliative care leaders who gathered 13 years ago to create a vision of Virtual Hospice. He was a builder, educator, and mentor, much honoured, and respected by his colleagues. But above all, Larry was a caring and dedicated physician. As he approached death he left a frank and moving video message of his experience. Read more at Take a Bow:

REVIEW SHOWS EFFECTIVENESS OF HOME PALLIATIVE CARE

A meta-analysis by British researchers shows clear, reliable evidence that home palliative care services allow more people to die at home with fewer difficult symptoms. The findings come from a Cochrane review that encompassed more than 37,000 participants and more than 4,000 caregivers in eight countries.

CANCER IN THE FAMILY: START THE TALK

Cancer is a family illness. When an adult is diagnosed, the children in the family are affected. Now there's a new online resource to help support those children and teens. It has been developed by the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology with support from the de Souza Institute.

GRIEF TIPS FOR SCHOOL KIDS

Now that school is back, parents and professionals may be noticing that children and teens who have experienced a loss are facing new burdens. Hospice Calgary has practical suggestions to held kids and families cope.

FAMILY CAREGIVERS: HOW ARE YOU SLEEPING?

Researchers at the University of Alberta want to study the impact of sleep problems in family caregivers. Wherever you live, they'd like to hear from you if this describes your situation:

you're the main caregiver of, and you live with, a family member with advanced cancer;
you're over the age of 18;
you read, write, and understand English.

If you join this study, a researcher will contact you, by phone or visit, once a month for three months, to ask you some questions and help you fill out a questionnaire. To learn more, contact Danielle Gagnon by email or call 780-999-4490.

CANCERCHATCANADA EXPANDS

CancerChatCanada keeps growing. Hundreds of Canadian are chatting in the professionally facilitated groups for people affected by cancer. And new groups are being formed to meet their needs. A new group for cancer patients and survivors, and one for caregivers are starting in late September. All chats are anonymous and secure. CancerChatCanada is based at the BC Cancer Agency, with partner agencies across the country. Register here to take part in a group.

FREE TRAINING KIT FOR HOSPICE VOLUNTEERS

The volunteer committee of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association has developed a new resource, Hospice Palliative Care Volunteers: A Training Program. The nine-module kit helps prepare and support volunteers across the country to deliver high-quality service. Until November 15, a free copy is available to any program or service in Canada, through the generosity of the Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem. Request your copy by email.

PALLIUM POCKETBOOK BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

The popular Pallium Pocketbook will soon be available again. This is a resource that supports safe, ethical, effective, and accountable clinical palliative care in a community setting. The first two printings, more than 20,000 copies, sold out quickly. Following a blind peer review of version 1.3, Pallium Canada is preparing a third printing. It will be available soon through the CHPCA Marketplace.

ALBERTA GETS NEW HEAD FOR HOSPICE ORGANIZATION

Jennifer Elliott has been appointed executive director of Alberta Hospice Palliative Care Association (AHPCA). She has been with AHPCA for several years and has knowledge of the organization and a vision for its future. Jennifer brings her experience in business and volunteer management, and her compassion, to work for a end-of-life journey of comfort, peace and dignity for all.

MANITOBA GETS NEW HEAD FOR HOSPICE ORGANIZATION

Hospice &Palliative Care Manitoba has a new executive director. Judy Knight comes to the HPCM with deep experience at the Manitoba government. She has represented Manitoba in several national palliative care initiatives, and will continue to use her vision, management skills, and relationship-building to promote end-of-life and grief care for all Manitobans.

QUEBEC GETS NEW HEAD FOR HOSPICE ORGANIZATION

Jessy Savaria is the recently named executive director of the Réseau de soins palliatifs du Québec (RSPQ). Jessy is chartered accountant, educated at the Université du Québec à Montréal, with experience in business management. He has run several organizations, including the hospice Maison de soins palliatifs de Laval, and the community palliative care project in Nord de Lanaudière.

TORONTO WORKSHOP ON SUPPORTING CHILDREN

Children’s grief counsellor Andrea Warnick is offering public and professional education for those who support grieving children. Andrea has worked extensively in Canada and abroad as a nurse and counsellor, most recently at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Her first event is Talking with Children about Dying, Death, and Grief: A Workshop for Professionals on September 28. Register here.

WORLD HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE DAY - OCTOBER 12

The message of this year's World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is Achieving Universal Coverage of Palliative Care: Dispelling the myths. This one-day event, held every year along with Voices for Hospice concerts every second year, sends a powerful message on behalf of end-of-life care. Join the movement and organize an event.

CALENDAR

September 19-20, 2013 - Community Cancer Care 2013, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba

September 26-27, 2013 - 22nd Annual Manitoba Provincial Hospice Palliative Care Conference, Hospice & Palliative Care Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba

September 27, 2013 - 2013 Alberta Roadshow: This Thing Called Grief - Fort McMurray, Alberta

October 4, 2013 - 2013 Alberta Roadshow: This Thing Called Grief - Okotoks, Alberta

October 3-5, 2013 - The Canadian Conference on Dementia, Vancouver, British Columbia

October 9, 2013, Hamilton Death Cafe, 14 Lennard Crescent, Dundas, Ontario

October 16, 2013 - SickKids 2013 Paediatric Palliative Care Symposium, Team for Research with Adolescents and Children in Palliation and Grief , Toronto, Ontario

October 16-18, 2013 - Bereavement Ontario Network 23rd Annual Fall Conference, Orillia, Ontario

October 20-23, 2013 - CANO/ACIO Annual Conference 2013, Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology, Vancouver, British Columbia

October 22, 2013 - Caregiver Forum, Canadian Cancer Action Network, Ottawa, Ontario

October 31-November 3, 2013 - Integrating Hospice Palliative Care into Health Care: Moving Forward, Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Conference, Ottawa, Ontario

November 2, 2013 - 2013 Care 4 U Conference, Alzheimer Society Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba

November 14-15, 2013 - Northwestern Ontario Palliative Care Booster 2013, Centre for Education and Research on Aging & Health, Thunder Bay, Ontario

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