- Demystifying the End-of-Life Journey, presented by Family Services of the North Shore and the Paul Sugar Palliative Support Foundation, Wednesday, April 29, 7-9 p.m. at Kay Meek Centre. Free. Registration required. kaymeekcentre.com
Two North Shore organizations are teaming up to present an interactive forum offering community members an opportunity to learn about end-of-life issues, and walk away feeling less afraid and better prepared for when it unfolds in their own lives.
Representatives of Family Services of the North Shore and the Paul Sugar Palliative Support Foundation are presenting Demystifying the End-of-Life Journey, a panel discussion, Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. at Kay Meek Centre.
"We used to have babies at home and we used to die at home, and people are supported to die at home now, but often end up in the hospital or in a hospice residence, and so we're not passing down our wisdom in the same way for us to be comfortable with the dying process," says panelist Barbara Morningstar, program director of the Surrey Hospice Society.
"What often happens is people push the subject away because they're afraid of it, and then somebody in the household gets sick and they're in the middle of a very heightened emotional time and they're not even aware of the services that are available, which adds to some of the tensions. So to be informed ahead of time and know what your options are actually will help you down the road," she says.
Morningstar has both professional and personal experience with palliative and bereavement care, having worked in the area for more than 20 years, as well, she lost her husband to cancer approximately six years ago.
"I'm not only going to weave professional reflections in, but I'm also going to weave personal stories in around what it's like to actually go through the journey," she says.
Other speakers include North Shore palliative care physician Dr. Paul Sugar and pharmacist Dr. Marylene Kyriazis, co-founders of the Paul Sugar Palliative Support Foundation. Family Services' manager of the companioning community care program Janet Quenneville will also weigh in, and executive director Julia Staub-French will serve as moderator.
The conversation will cover: the psychological impact of a terminal illness on the patient, and caregiver or family; confronting fears; care planning; available local resources; being an advocate for oneself within the system; and companioning someone to end-of-life. "The most tender element of this is the fear of death.. . and so on this evening. .. we're going to try and inform and educate but also invite people into it in a way that we can hold some of their fears and reservations a little differently. .. It's challenging, it's painful, but it can be beautiful if it's supported properly, and enriching for everybody," says Morningstar.
