Personal Support Workers play a vital role in the lives of people living with serious illness, often forming the closest and most consistent relationships at the bedside. This session, offered during National Indigenous History Month, invites PSWs to deepen their understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing in relation to wellness, caregiving, dying, and death.
Grounded in respect, humility, and relationship, the conversation explores how history, inequities, and cultural strengths shape care experiences today. Together with Dr. Holly Prince, we will reflect on how PSWs can create safer, more compassionate spaces that honour Indigenous Peoples, families, and communities across all care settings.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, carers will be able to:
- Describe Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing in relation to wellness, caregiving, dying and death.
- Explain the health inequities experienced by Indigenous Peoples and how these impact care, and the significant contribution that equity-informed approaches to care can make to the health experiences.
- Identify practical ways PSWs can engage respectfully and relationally with Indigenous Peoples and families across LTC, home care, and hospice settings
- Acknowledge their carers role within the circle of palliative care, including the importance of caregiver well-being
