"Nurse Practitioners are well positioned to help residents and families navigate their life limiting illness. We have the knowledge and skillset to provide their primary medical care, their maintenance therapies, and the treatment of chronic illness flareups. I think the value add is that we can also integrate this approach and philosophy throughout the continuum of care." Nurse Practitioners play a significant role in long-term care, but many homes do not have one on the team. We spoke with Nurse Practitioner Jennifer Burgess about the role and how NPs can support other team members by model ..read more

How do we support the elderly and their loved ones as they transition through the phases of end of life? Registered Nurse Ryan Collins talks with us about how the Palliative Performance Scale tool and courses through the SPA-LTC program have helped him adapt care strategies for long-term care residents to ensure that they get the care that's right for them. Ryan Collins is a registered nurse and palliative care champion at a long-term care facility in St. John, New Brunswick. Along with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and a Bachelor of Nursing, Ryan has experience working in acute ..read more

Dr. Melanie Leger is a palliative care physician in Moncton, New Brunswick. She recently developed standardized templates for order sets in palliative, to help guide community and long-term care health professionals as they review and update palliative protocols. The templates also increase efficiency by adding medication quantities and refill orders that can double as a prescription. "Some of our nursing homes had order sets, but some didn't. This project made me realize that some of these order sets were sometimes dated. It made me think that having it reviewed by palliative care specialist ..read more

How do we address the issues of health equity when jurisdictional issues create a gap between two systems of care? We spoke with Holly Prince about the barriers to care for Indigenous peoples, and the importance of equitable access to palliative care within Indigenous communities. Holly Prince is an Anishinaabekwe  and a member of Opwaaganisiniing  in Northwestern Ontario. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work and is a Ph.D. Candidate in Educational Studies at Lakehead University. Holly’s research focus is on decolonial and Indigenist education and health, and community-based res ..read more

Living with a disability can add extra complexity in health care settings, especially if communication is a challenge. Carrie Batt draws from her personal and extensive professional experience within the developmental disability sector to offer end of life care, support and planning for people across the disability spectrum.  She helps people navigate systems for equitable and quality healthcare, and provides disability-informed end of life and grief support through her business. Seoul Care. Carrie also educates presents and rights for the disability, death, care, and bereavement communi ..read more

How do we better support family, friends, and long-term care staff as they grieve the death of a long-term care resident? Joe Peters is a funeral director with more than 35 years of experience at funeral homes in Toronto. He has supported many family members and friends through grief, and he has also experienced a wide range of approaches to honoring the deaths of residents in long-term care.  Learn more about the Strengthening a Palliative Approach to Long-Term Care project at: https://spaltc.ca ..read more

How do we make mission statements real ? Pat Morden says that leadership is critical to ensuring that people have autonomy and a sense of purpose to understand the mission. Pat Morden, the 'upcycled' CEO of Shalom Village, is committed to enriching the experiences of those who need to live closer to care and want to live life on their own terms. Pat has worked to achieve this alongside others in a variety of settings, including as a front line nurse, university faculty member, CEO, executive coach, a member of numerous boards, and the captain of a world championship Canadian dragon boat team ..read more

Bahar Karimi believes that compassion is the foundation to a palliative approach to care, and that it starts with ensuring that team members feel valued, safe and cared for.  She believes that we need a culture change in long-term care, one that identifies residents' multi-dimensional needs and gives team members the knowledge and tools to provide the best possibly care and quality of life. Bahar Karimi is the Executive Director of Long-Term Care Services and the Chair of Research at Thrive Group, a nonprofit organization that supports long-term care supportive housing and assistive livi ..read more

Essential life lessons from family caregivers: On autonomy, commitment, and diversityIn this final episode, co-hosts Katie and Sibtain consider how the project intersects with their personal and professional lives. During this conversation, they discuss three important take-home messages from those who participated in this podcast series. These messages connect to the themes of autonomy, commitment, and diversity. "I want to take these stories and experiences that these caregivers have so graciously given us as an indicator of where our healthcare system is today but also where it needs to go ..read more

Everyone has their own perspectiveIn this episode, you’ll meet Suzanne, a retired teacher who – along with several siblings – provides care to her mother. As co-hosts Katie and Sibtain ask questions about the experience of sharing the caregiving responsibilities within a large family, Suzanne reflects openly on how everyone – including her mother – has their own perspective!  "We are very lucky in that she listens to everyone but says, ‘nope; this is what I want’." – Suzanne Learn more about the Strengthening a Palliative Approach to Long-Term Care project at: https://spaltc.ca ..read more