07/08/2013
Bronnie Ware, a hospice palliative care nurse from Australia, shares what she has heard her patients say. According to an article in The Guardian “she recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog called Inspiration and Chai, which gathered so much attention that she put her observations into a book called The Top Five Regrets of
Read More07/04/2013
Dying is hard. Even for Nelson Mandela. As I listen to the varied reports about Nelson Mandela’s declining health, I consider the challenges of dying with chronic illness. I consider the challenges of dying in a hospital setting. When people die with chronic illness, they may be on “death’s doorstep” several times before they actually
Read More06/26/2013
Mark Forsythe host of CBC BC Almanac interviewed Peter Kirk this afternoon. Peter defined Palliative Care as a philosophy, and how that philosophy of care can be integrated in any setting. Peter responded to people who called in… and of course, I had to add my piece. My goal in calling was to highlight what
Read More06/20/2013
As we listen to the debate about Medically Assisted Dying, and hear the appeal for Physician Assisted Dying, let’s step back a few years and learn from what once was. What would the picture look like if we allowed people to die when their bodies were dying, if we did not prevent death, and if
Read More06/13/2013
Interesting article by Dr Danielle Ofri, discussing how working in uncertainty is hard for her and for other doctors. Congrats to Dr Ofri for articulating so well what many people struggle with, for admitting how hard it is for her, and for exploring ways to cope. Doctors are not the only ones that struggle with
Read More06/13/2013
Last June the B.C. Supreme Court struck down Canada’s ban on assisted suicide. The federal government launched an appeal. Yesterday Bill 52 was tabled in the Quebec National Assembly to legalize medically assisted dying. This bill would allow a physician who receive the repeated consent of a patient to administer medication with the specific purpose
Read More06/11/2013
Through meta-analysis, a Cochrane review found that receiving home palliative care doubles the odds of dying at home and that people have less symptom burden. Cochrane reviews are “recognised as providing the highest standard in evidence-based health care”. Receiving in home care, personal care, support for medications, interprofessional team approach, not only supports the dying
Read More06/10/2013
Last month when our son Geordie moved home for a few months I did not expect he would have such a positive impact on our health! Geordie introduced us to a fascinating routine… daily visits to the gym at 0630! Like more than a few others I feared going to the gym, I preferred fresh
Read More06/10/2013
“The chair is the greatest threat to our economy”… based on the cost of illness associated with too much sitting! Dr Doug Gross, Physical Therapist, Professor at University of Alberta. Doug Gross delivered the CLPNA keynote “Staying Well…Despite the Health Care System: An Evidence-Informed Approach for Maintaining Health”. Referencing “The Cure for Everything” he sited
Read More05/22/2013
Early morning discussion "what is important to me when I am dying"
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