eNews: Spotlight on Palliative Care for the Elderly

ENEWS -- October 2012

SPOTLIGHT ON
PALLIATIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is on October 13! This year's theme is “Living to the end: palliative care for an aging population.” In this issue of eNews we offer resources, information and new developments for blending palliative and elder care, including care for individuals living with advanced dementia and other chronic diseases.

For Professionals
DEVELOPING PALLIATIVE CARE PROGRAMS IN LONG-TERM CARE HOMES

In this Exchange article, Mary Lou Kelley, MSW, PhD, project manager for the Quality Palliative Care in Long Term Care (QPC-LTC) Alliance operating out of the Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health at Lakehead University, describes the need for palliative programs in care homes, and offers an implementation model developed by their five-year study: "Improving Quality of Life for People Dying in Long Term Care Homes". Here are the first QPC-LTC tools developed to support the model:

Frontline Staff Experiences of Grief and Loss in a Long-term Care Home – This research studies the loss and grief experienced by long-term care workers, and identifies the support they need.
Personal Support Workers Competencies – Palliative care competencies for personal support workers in long term care are summarized in this online brochure.

For Professionals
PROVIDING PALLIATIVE CARE TO AN AGING POPULATION

Palliative Care for Older People: Better Practices – The World Health Organization reports on the need for better palliative care for the elderly, and gives examples of best practices.
National Initiative for Care of the Elderly - This is the website for an international network of researchers, practitioners and students working to improve care for older adults.
Crucial conversations: Providing a roadmap for decision (8:44) – Romayne Gallagher, MD CCFP

For Everyone
CARING FOR THE ELDERLY

Grief, Loss and Dementia: Caregivers Share Their Journey – In this DVD from the Vancouver Island Health Authority, family caregivers discuss the unique losses and grief tied to caring for someone with dementia.
Alzheimer Society of Canada – This website provides information, resources and support to people with dementia and their caregivers.
Pain and cognitive impairment: Reading the cues (4:52) – Romayne Gallagher, MD, CCFP
Diminuendo – A daughter tells a poignant story of her elderly mother's last days.
Join our Discussions and talk with others going through similar experiences. Here’s what members are talking about now:
- Caregivers: Can we talk honestly? started by Jimmie

For Everyone
ASKED & ANSWERED

What can be expected with end-stage Alzheimer disease? Read our answer.
My mother has end-stage Alzheimer disease. I think she may be in pain, but she isn’t able to communicate very well. How do I know if she is having pain? Read our answer.

NEWS

VIRTUAL HOSPICE WELCOMES DR. ROMAYNE GALLAGHER

Virtual Hospice is pleased to welcome Romayne Gallagher, MD, CCFP to our team! Dr. Gallagher is an award-winning palliative care physician with 25 years of experience in patient care, teaching and research, with a special interest in palliative care for older Canadians. She will be instrumental in helping Virtual Hospice provide information and support to an aging population.

UPDATED BRAIN TUMOUR HANDBOOK RELEASED

The Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada has released the 6th Editions of the Adult Brain Tumour Handbook and the Pediatric Brain Tumour Handbook. Canadian Virtual Hospice was pleased to lend its expertise to authoring the palliative care section of the adult handbook and editing the corresponding section of the pediatric handbook. Request your copies online.

eHOSPICE - INTERNATIONAL PALLIATIVE CARE NEWS SOURCE LAUNCHED

On October 2, seven countries collaborated to launch the inaugural edition of ehospice, a news aggregating service bringing the latest news, commentary and analysis from the world of hospice, palliative and end of life care. Virtual Hospice is pleased to contribute stories to the weekly Canadian French and English editions as well as the daily international edition. Subscribe. Submit an article.

AWARD-WINNING REPORTING ON END OF LIFE

Congratulations to journalist Lisa Priest on receiving the Michelle Lang Award for Excellence in Print Reporting from the Canadian Medical Association. Her winning Globe and Mail article, End of Life, is an in-depth look at the difficult decisions and experiences of patients and families at the end of life, in the critical care unit of Sunnybrook Hospital.

NEW RESEARCH: HOMECARE AND FAMILY SUPPORT KEY TO END-OF-LIFE CARE

New research from the United Kingdom's Cicely Saunders Institute focusses on people with non-malignant conditions, and finds a gap between the number who want to die at home and the number who actually do so. Researchers conclude that enhanced homecare and family support could result in fewer hospital deaths and better end-of-life care.

NEW RESEARCH: USE OF PATIENT DIGNITY INVENTORY IN ONCOLOGY

New research from Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov and his team shows that use of the patient dignity inventory in an oncology setting identifies distress in palliative patients and helps health professionals respond effectively. Learn more about The Patient Dignity Inventory: Applications in the Oncology Setting.

CONGRATULATIONS COLLEEN YOUNG!

We are thrilled to congratulate Virtual Hospice team member Colleen Young on being presented with the Journal of Medical Internet Research Award at the Medicine 2.0 Congress 2012 in Boston for her leadership in developing best practices for building online communities. She has helped to grow the Virtual Hospice community by bringing together people to share and support each other.

CALENDAR

19th International Congress on Palliative Care, Montreal QC, October 9-12, 2012 – Hear Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov’s plenary on Dignity in Care. Shelly Cory, Executive Director and Colleen Young, Manager of Awareness and Community Engagement will be presenting a workshop on social media and knowledge dissemination. Attend Dr. Mike Harlos and Simone Stenekes’, CNS, presentation on evolutions in perinatal palliative care programming. Visit us at the booth!

Bereavement Ontario Network 22nd Annual Fall Conference - I’m Grieving Too! Opening the Doors to Unrecognized and Unacknowledged Loss, Orillia, Ontario, Oct. 10-12, 2012.

Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology Conference 2012 – Oncology Nurses: Advocates by Profession, Ottawa ON, October 11-14, 2012.

Personal Support Network of Ontario and Ontario Community Support Association Conference – A Vibrant Community at Work, Markham ON, October 15-17, 2012.

Quality Palliative Care in Long Term Care: Tools for Change Conference, Toronto ON, October 17, 2012

CancerCare Manitoba Community Cancer Care Educational Conference, Winnipeg MB, October 18-19, 2012.

Covenant Health 23rd Annual Palliative Care Conference: Education and Research Days, Edmonton AB, October 29-30, 2012.

HealthAchieve 2012, Toronto ON, November 5-7, 2012.

Central West Palliative Care Network Conference – Promoting Excellence in Palliative Care, Brampton ON, November 7, 2012.

Northwestern Ontario Palliative Care Conference 2012 - Life Transitions: Chronic Illness and Palliative Care, Thunder Bay ON, November 7-9, 2012.

Toronto Cancer 2012 – Education Conference & Medical Exposition, Toronto ON, November 22-23, 2012.

Call for abstracts now open for the 2013 Annual Hospice Palliative Care Ontario Conference, Richmond Hill, Ontario, April 28 - 30, 2013. The submission deadline is Nov. 30, 2012.

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