In The News

This article is a reprint in the Mill Woods Mosaic of the Vital Beat story by the same title from May 11, 2023.

"April 16 is National Advance Care Planning Day, a day where Canadians are encouraged to engage in conversation with a trusted individual about their end-of-life preferences and to plan for future care by completing a personal directive, a will, and a power of attorney."

This article is a reprint in the Mill Woods Mosaic of the Vital Beat story by the same title from May 2, 2022.

"Compassionate Cities is an opportunity to supplement or support the care that is provided. The care is not helpful unless we know what it is, where it's available and how to access it, and the roles of individuals and organizations to help family members and patients find their way through the system."

“Most Albertans are referred to palliative care in the last six weeks of life, which is far too late. Research shows that an early introduction to palliative care and having those discussions with your health-care providers greatly improves the quality of life.”

“We want to promote advance care planning throughout our lives so that we don't just hear about it when we’re sick, but starting as healthy young adults and throughout all those different life milestones such as buying a home, having children and retiring.”

Not many 17-year-olds have direct experience of palliative care. Read Bill Zheng's story about how he supported his mother through until end of life and became a passionate palliative care advocate.

Death is a difficult topic for many of us to talk about. Now there's a book club to help with this, courtesy of a collaboration between the Palliative Institute and Edmonton Public Library.

Grief is messy, complicated and unpredictable and does not fit neatly into ‘stages’. Supporting a grieving loved one means listening to the person and being supportive without trying to ‘fix’ the problem.

Conversations about future health care can be difficult, but they are essential for ensuring people get the kind of care they want during their final days and weeks. Such care not only impacts the patients themselves, but also the loved ones by their side.

Rita Scagnetti of Thornhill, ON talks about the awkwardness - and importance - of having an end-of-life planning-related conversation with her adult children and the process behind her own planning.

When it comes to protecting chosen family, LGBTQ couples face unique struggles.

Producer Kevin Ball has long been fascinated by the way we talk about death, as if it were a battle or a duel the person lost. Kevin reflects on if there's another way to talk about a person's passing.

Family members often have to make difficult decisions at the end of a person's life. Advance care planning can help families navigate end-of-life decision making.

A recent Australian study examined the use of telehealth services for palliative care during COVID-19. The results were varied, showing great benefits in certain respects but also limitations.

Tremendous progress has been made worldwide in normalizing palliative care over the past two decades, according to a recent peer-reviewed paper.

Being able to talk about death, dying and loss is important because it directly shapes the decisions we make about the care we receive as well as our ability to care for others.

By Nathan Gray, an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and comic artist, this comic strip highlights the importance of ongoing, open conversation between family members around end-of-life planning.