Life and Death Matters was founded in 2005 with the mission to improve care for the dying through delivery of comprehensive palliative resources, training, and support for healthcare workers and individuals. We are outgoing advocates for expanding palliative care education for personal support workers (PSWs) and nurses in core curriculum and in the workplace.
In support of our mission, Life & Death Matters develops a growing library of resources (textbooks, companion workbooks, videos, and podcasts) to support educators and students extend their palliative skills and approach. Based on provincial and national palliative care standards, our resources are widely used across the world and have been adapted for healthcare workers in the United States, Mexico, South/Latin America, and even Nepal. No matter where they are used, we work hard to ensure all our resources are engaging and user-friendly – delicious and digestible, we like to say.
Throughout our resources and content, we use the title “Personal Support Worker” (PSW), aware that the job description and title may vary between location and region. Whether you are a Health Care Assistant, Continuing Care Assistant, Nursing Assistant, Patient Care Technician, or one of many other titles, if you are working with patients at the end of life these resources are for you.
On the cover of all Life & Death Matters resources is the image of the Arbutus tree. Often rooted in the crevices of rock faces and along the rocky cliffs of the Pacific West Coast, Arbutus trees thrive despite being buffeted by the wind, salty sea air, and rain. With papery bark that peels off each year, each Arbutus tree is unique. To us, the Arbutus tree symbolizes the strength of the human spirit, our ability to survive, grow, and even thrive amid difficult, even traumatic situations. Like the Arbutus tree, we may get gnarled with age, but each of us is unique.
Greetings! My name is Kath Murray. I came to hospice nursing as a child when I witnessed death in nature, and then as a teen and young adult when close family members and friends passed away. I became a hospice nurse in my early 30’s and quickly learned that there was much suffering I could have prevented if I just had more knowledge, skill, and training. And there was born my lifelong commitment to developing and providing hospice and palliative care education.
Life and Death Matters is dedicated to providing excellent education. Contact our administration team for more information on speakers associated with Life and Death Matters to help address your needs for keynote speakers and presenters.
A1 Global College of Health, Business and Technology
Abm College of Business Technology
Academy of Learning Career & Business College
Alberta Health Services Palliative Care Program (Abes)
Algonquin Careers Academy
Algonquin College
Anderson College (Robetech)
Asimco College – Cobourg
Assiniboine Community College
Camosun College
Canadian All Care College
Canadian Business Skills College
Canadian Care Academy
Canadian Career College of Innovative Technology and Management
Canadian College of Business, Science & Technology
Capilano University
Discovery Community College
Cdi College of Business, Technology & Health Care – Ajaxcdi College of Business, Technology & Health Care
Cdi College of Business, Technology & Health Care
Centennial College Central Health Institutecj Health Care College
Clarkridge Career Institute
College of New Caledonia (CNC)
Computek College of Business Healthcare Technology
Conestoga Collegecornerstone College of Health & Business
Crd College of Health Care
Cts Canadian Career College
Discovery Community College
Eastern College
Emmanuel Academy of Health & Business
Everest College of Business, Technology & Health Care
Evergreen College
Fatima Institute of Learning Inc.
Fleming College
Futures Academy of Health Care
George Brown College
Hamilton Institute For Health Personnel
Hamilton-wentworth Cdsb
Herzing Career College
Holi Health
Hospice Waterloo
Ican College of Computer Business & Healthcare
Jrs College of Business & Health
Kingston KLC College: Healthcare, Business & Education
Maxwell College of Advanced Technologymedix College Health Care – Brampton
Medix College Health Care
National Academy of Health & Business
Native Education College
Netstaff Consulting
New Skills College of Health, Business & Technologyniagara College – Welland Campus
Niagara School of Health Care
North American College of Information Technology
Okanagan College
Peak Private Healthcare College
Pharmaceutical Science College of Canada
Pro Resp
Progressive Training College of Business and Health
Red Cross Care Partners – Bracebridge
Robertson College – Edmonton Campus
Robetech Institute Inc
Simcoe County District School Board
Sir Sandford Fleming College
Sprott Shaw
St. Charles Adult And Continuing Education – Mountain Campus
St. Elizabeth Health Career College
St. Lawrence College
Stanford Int’l College of Business & Technology
Stenberg College
The Priory
Thompson Rivers University
Toronto Business College
Toronto Health School
Transitions College of Business & Career Studiestricare Academy
Trillium College
Trios College Business Technology Healthcare Inc
Western Community College
Westervelt College
Wilkes University
Willis College
Willis College of Business, Health & Technology
Yukon College
A hospice palliative care nurse and a thanatologist, Kath is passionate about improving care of the dying person and their family through education, resources and courses.
Kath would say that one of her superpowers is pulling great people together – and the Life and Death Matters team and advisory/creative experts are examples of this.
Kath is grateful for the wonderful people who have contributed over the years to Life and Death Matters, and those who continue to contribute.
Kath is grateful for those she has cared with and those she has care for over the years. When Kath is not working, she plays with grandkids, swims year-round in the ocean, loves to be with family, friends, colleagues and faith community, and she is pretty in love with Ted.
Ted brings experience in logistics, finances, contract management, self-publishing, public survey design, and in identifying and creating operational efficiencies.
Ted delights in making sure Life and Death Matters is successful as a business, while providing high quality resources and service.
Ted loves tools, fixing anything that needs fixing, growing fruit trees (including lemon trees), building a greenhouse and fishing.
Ted and Kath live in Saanichton, outside of Victoria, on the west coast of Canada.
Victor is part of the team helping Customer Service with any questions pertaining to the digital library.
He is also involved with marketing, editing, and working in the back end for the monthly webinars. Life and Death Matters is so glad to have him on board!
Victor has finished his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.
Ted will be forever grateful for Bonnie joining the team. Bonnie heads Customer Service and is responsible for processing book orders, bookkeeping, and keeping the office organized.
If you have questions about book orders and/or payments, you will probably meet Bonnie.
We are so grateful for Bonnie, and her patience and humour as well as her expertise!
When she is not working, she grows a fabulous garden, loves walking, and absolutely does not love going for swims in the ocean with Kath.
Michelle has an extensive background in Emergency Nursing, Hospice Palliative Care, Parish Nursing and Spirituality.
Michelle helped to design, build and open a ten-bed hospice residence in 2016.
She is a speaker and author – her most recent book is ‘Healthy Caregiving: Perspectives for Caring Professionals‘. And is founder of Selah Resources.
Michelle loves to teach and inspire others. She is passionate about helping those who care for others, care for themselves.
As an education-consultant with LDM Michelle presents webinars, creates podcasts, writes, edits, and organizes!
We are so grateful to have Michelle and her multiple talents on the team!
Michelle lives with her husband Tom in Chatham ON, a proud mother of four and grandma to Ollie!
Joanne is a former nurse, an educator and an artist. Her background as a nurse, her specialty in adult education, and her skills as an artist help her to create visual images to facilitate learning.
Joanne has worked with LDM to create all of our user-friendly, engaging resources.
Terry, a hospice palliative care nurse, a leader, and an advocate, helped to develop the Victoria Hospice Palliative Response Team – a community crisis team. Terry is an incredible palliative care nurse and strong member of the inter-professional team. She is a fierce advocate for patients and families, and a phenomenal educator. Terry has presented to thousands of health care providers from around the world.
Terry’s new love is her corgi puppy!
Elizabeth Causton worked as a social worker for forty years, with over fourteen years as a clinical counselor with the Victoria Hospice community crisis team. A dynamic and inspiring (and unforgettable) palliative care educator, she taught for decades across Canada on psychosocial and communication issues.
As a member of the LDM team, Elizabeth and Kath love teaching together and have enjoyed their adventures far and wide. Elizabeth contributed to all the LDM resources, including texts, podcasts and videos.
Over the last 12 years, Elizabeth has also worked with research teams at the University of Victoria exploring ways to improve the integration of a palliative approach across all health care settings and has written for Canada Virtual Hospice.
Elizabeth is loving the little people in her life – as well as daily walks along the beach in Victoria.
After more than 35 years in health and medical sciences research at McMaster University, I recently retired but remain committed to making a difference.
For over a decade, I’ve focused on projects that help older adults navigate challenging conversations about future health care decisions, empowering individuals, and families to understand how their values, goals, and wishes shape those choices.
I’m now working with Life and Death Matters, promoting early and ongoing palliative care education for health care providers, families, and caregivers, to improve both quality of life and quality of death, ensuring compassionate, respectful care aligned with what matters most to each person.
With over 30 years of experience as a nurse, educator, and a recognized Knowledge Broker in the PSW sector, Laura brings expertise in nursing, adult education, palliative care, and marketing. She has contributed to the national PSW Textbook, written and spoken for media outlets like The Healthy Debate, Maclean’s, and CBC Radio, she has driven key initiatives and been an active member and lead for the Canadian Association of Continuing Care Educators.
Laura has also collaborated on initiatives such as the development of Ontario PSW Program Standards, National Occupational Standards for Personal Care Providers, and Ontario’s first PSW-PN Pathway program (2004). Laura is a recipient of the Crystal Apple Teaching Award and received the RNAO Best Practice recognition for her work in palliative care.
In addition to her work at LDM, Laura contributes to shaping healthcare as a college professor and curriculum developer. Outside of work, Laura enjoys TV binge-watching, traveling, and snorkeling in the Caribbean.
Dr David Kenneth Wright is the academic lead for Palliative Care and Nursing Ethics within the Centre for Research on Health and Nursing at the University of Ottawa. He holds specialty certification in hospice palliative care nursing from the Canadian Nurses Association and works clinically at a residential palliative care facility (hospice) in Montreal. Current projects, with colleagues and graduate students, include nursing analyses of palliative sedation, of medical assistance in dying, and of palliative care approaches in diverse contexts such as intensive care, forensic psychiatry, and prison. David serves on the board of the Canadian Palliative Care Nursing Association.
David loves being with his fabulous nephews, loves sitting in artsy cafes, living among the trees, serving on the board of directors of the CPCNA, and visiting LDM in Victoria.
Coby is a hospice palliative care nurse. She is interested in nursing education and scholarship in the context of hospice palliative care. She is inspired in practice by the study of nursing theory and philosophy and by the example of the LDM team. She is an associate teaching professor at the University of Victoria, School of Nursing and staff nurse at the Victoria Hospice community urgent response team. Coby brings to LDM her thoughtful ponderings, her questions, and her years of clinical experience in palliative care.
Coby and Kath have become ocean-swimming partners – and for both Coby and Kath, swimming in the ocean, all year long, offers wonderful ways of communing and healing.
Pippa has a busy clinical, academic and administrative practice based in Vancouver. As head of the UBC Division of Palliative Care and Medical Leader for the BC Cancer Pain and Symptom Management/Palliative Care Program, she is also involved in a number of regional, national and international initiatives, including early integration of palliative care into disease management, management of severe cancer pain, and use of medical cannabis extracts for symptom control.
At LDM we are incredibly grateful for Pippa’s medical input, insights, wisdom, and editing in the development of all of our resources.
When Pippa is not working, her loves include sailing, hiking, and playing with the young ones in her life.
Michele (Misha) is a counsellor with the Victoria Hospice crisis team, whose graduate work explored reflexive, intersubjective, and anti-oppressive “love as professional practice”.
Misha is interested in the intersection of the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual; in trauma informed practice, and in supporting compassion, equity and diversity in end-of-life care.
She brings a quality of peace, wisdom, and gentleness to all her practices. Life and Death Matters is blessed to have Misha provide her wisdom and insights in all of our work.
Bev Foster is the Founder and Executive Director of the Room 217 Foundation, an organization dedicated to music and care. She is an experienced musician who speaks and writes extensively on the power of music, especially in life-limiting situations. Her passion for music enhancing quality of life is contagious.
Bev has provided input to Life and Death Matters on the development of the comfort basket, and ideas for bringing comfort in the moment.
Sheila is a Gitxsan nursing scholar. She has over 32 years of nursing experience ranging from acute care to rural health, Indigenous and occupational health nursing. Her research, curricula and practice development is focused on improving wholistic health outcomes of Indigenous peoples and the quality of nursing work environments, focusing on the relationship of organizational workplace structures and processes to horizontal workplace bullying and incivility among Registered nurses. In research she has explored the role of oppression embedded within organizational structures, policies, factors, and the effects on nursing leadership and new graduate nurses’ experiences of incivility. The findings arm health care administrators with the information to change work processes and policies to improve the quality of nursing practice environments for nursing leaders and new graduate nurses.
She developed an interdisciplinary indigenous health course and an Indigenous nursing practice course for Thompson Rivers University. She is a Board of Director for the First Nations Health Authority and was recently appointed by the Minister of Health to the provincial In Plain Sight task force where she is working to change health care legislation and to inform changes to accreditation of health professional schools and universities.
Sheila also loves being fully immersed in nature.
Cari’s vision, passion and commitment to early advance care planning has provided her opportunities to serve on, support and influence local, provincial, national and international ACP programs.
Cari has co-created a variety of health care provider resources including clinical practice guidelines, policies and public resources which have been adapted in various organizations across the world.
Cari has authored two chapters and completed a thesis exploring the impact of clinicians understanding of health law on ACP. She is extremely proud to be leading the largest ACP team in Canada, focusing on proactive systems level implementation at Fraser Health Authority in British Columbia, Canada
We are so grateful for Cari’s input in the development of the LDM resources.
Françoise, a Registered Psychotherapist, is Executive Director of TEND, whose aim is to offer consulting and training to professionals on topics related to secondary trauma, empathic strain, burnout, self-care, wellness and organizational health. We are honoured to have Françoise input on the work of Life and Death Matters.
Andrea is a Registered Nurse and Registered Psychotherapist whose passion lies in helping individuals, families and communities support people of all ages who are grieving an illness or death in their lives. With years of nursing and counselling experience both in Canada and abroad and a Master’s degree in Thanatology Andrea brings to her work a rare mixture of medical and psychosocial expertise.
Andrea lives in Guelph Ontario, from where she runs Andrea Warnick Consulting, a group practice of 30 therapists who provide grief counselling across Ontario and grief education across Canada.
Sarah has worn a few different hats — addictions researcher (after completing an honours BA in psychology), accredited teacher of English as a second language, technologist in a community college ceramics program, and studio potter. Her love of words eventually led her to study editing at Ryerson University. She has worked as a professional editor since the mid-1990s.
Sarah came on board when we were writing the second edition of the PSW text. We needed someone not only to check for grammar and spelling, but also to make sure the language was plain and easily understood.
We are not sure how Sarah can stay focused on the tiny details page after page, week after week. When she is not at her desk editing, she is either training her dogs to do dog agility or competing with them in agility trials.
