April PCSBV Newsletter 2023

April 2023 PCSBV Bulletin

#202 - 1080 Railway Ave. | Canmore, AB T1W 1P4

(403) 707-7111 | pcsbv.ca

BUILD BETTER LISTENING SKILLS

Downloading : Focus on information you already know.

Object-focused or Factual Listening : Focus on new information. Ask questions and listen carefully to responses.

Listening is a skill to develop, something we must learn and practice. Being a good listener has many benefits: a way to gain more information from those around you, develop innovative solutions, build better and more stable relationships, and most importantly it allows you to understand people and their needs. The first step is to understand "active listening", giving someone your full attention. Active listening goes further than just hearing someone’s words. It means putting in the effort to understand them, avoiding interruption, and reflecting their words back to them to confirm your understanding. These types of actions, called 'minimal encouragers', can be things like nodding, leaning into the conversation, eye contact and using language which reflects the language the person is using. Reflecting, clarifying and asking open ended questions allows the other person to think about the words that they use and identify whether another word would better express their feelings.

Empathetic Listening : Connect with others on a deeper level, seeing it through their eyes.

Generative Listening : Be openminded and allow a new part of our person to emerge, finding ourselves through listening to others. A final consideration for being a strong listener is to be wary of jumping in with personal experiences. It can be tempting to show someone you understand them through a similar experience, but that often has a negative effect and can move the focus of the conversation away from the person sharing to the person who should be listening.

Consider using prompts from the T.E.D. method: · T ell me more,

· E xplain that further, or · D escribe that more fully.

Good listening helps us make people comfortable to talk about difficult topics. PCSBV and our team of volunteers focus on being better listeners so the people we support feel truly heard, understood, and at ease talking about living their best life following a life limiting diagnosis.

Otto Scharmer, a senior lecturer at MIT and founder of the Presencing Institute, defines four different levels of listening that affect people and groups differently. Understanding these different levels may help to better understand the needs of the person who is sharing. They are:

HAVING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS PCSBV Volunteers Learn Effective Listening Skills

Volunteers fill a critical gap by just providing time, attention, and a willingness to be there with the client in a difficult space.

PCSBV Client Care Volunteers complete nine different training modules, certified by the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. Among the modules we offer is Effective Listening Skills facilitated by Dr. Tiffany Kriz and teaches the basic “how-to’s” including active listening, noticing and responding and, avoiding judgment and advice. Dr. Kriz says, “When researchers have asked volunteers, volunteer coordinators, and medical professionals about what volunteers do and why it matters, they consistently say that just being there and listening is central to the role. Medical professionals do not often have the necessary time to listen, and friends and family members may be too consumed with their own worries. Volunteers fill a critical gap, providing time, attention and a willingness to be there with a client in a difficult space.” The module's main goal is to strengthen the ability of a volunteer to support clients through conversation and listening. It incorporates reflection exercises and activities designed to help volunteers experience and learn from their own current and prior listening interactions. "Many of us are culturally conditioned to focus on the positive when talking with others, avoiding discussions of negative emotions. Talking about death and illness tends to be taboo”. “When a person is facing a life-limiting illness they might not feel comfortable talking about it, and likewise, those around them may be uncomfortable engaging in in-depth conversations. That reaction makes it tough for individuals to find the support they need.” says Dr. Kriz.

"Listening is important. It takes on special meaning for those facing life-limiting illnesses, struggling with uncertainty, physical changes, and abrupt new realities. In the presence of a good listener, the person has someone available to join them on that journey, providing the courage and strength to face their situation.” “After completing this module, PCSBV volunteers can walk away with the insight that listening is a skill that can be developed, and continue to be developed.” says Dr. Kriz. For more information, please contact the Palliative Care Society of the Bow Valley via email at info@pcsbv.ca or by telephone at 403-707-7111. Dr. Tiffany Kriz, PhD is a faculty member in the Management and Organizations Department at MacEwan University, Edmonton.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT BILL HARDER, PALLIATIVE AND GRIEF SUPPORT NAVIGATOR BY EMAIL AT BILL.HARDER@PCSBV.CA GRIEF SUPPORT

GRIEF SUPPORT VISITS (IN-PERSON)

WALKING GROUP (IN CANMORE)

Wednesdays | 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm Canmore Recreation Centre - 1900-8th Ave. Meet in the lobby . Fill out Rec. Centre Waiver here. There is no fee to join this drop-in grief conversation group . It's open to all 18+ who are grieving. We will walk and talk for about 30 minutes and then stop for a guided conversation on the themes of loss and grief.

Canmore: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. PCSBV Office - #202-1080 Railway Ave. (Above Sports Experts)

Banff: Wednesdays 9:00 am to noon. Banff Canmore Community Foundation - 214 Banff Ave.

Contact: Book appointment with Bill Harder

NOTE: April 5 and 12 the Walking Group will be meeting at Elevation Place. (#100 - 700 Railway Ave.)

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Click this link to connect to the volunteer training calendar: Volunteer – Palliative Care Society of the Bow Valley (pcsbv.ca)

PCSBV VOLUNTEER TRAINING

April 15: Emotional & Psychological Supports (Facilitator: Jackie Baker) 9:00AM –Noon Via Zoom Registration Link Apr 16: Physical Issues and Supports (Facilitators: TBA) 9:00 AM –Noon Via Zoom Registration Link

April 15: Family Dynamics (Facilitator: Merrily Marchessault) 1:00PM –4 PM Via Zoom Registration Link

April 16: Case Studies (Facilitator: Bill Harder) 1:00PM –4 PM Via Zoom Registration Link

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HOLIDAY OFFICE CLOSURE

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL REMINDER All memberships renewed on or after April 1, 2023 will be for the 2023/24 Membership, ending on March 31, 2024.

The Palliative Care Society of the Bow Valley office will be CLOSED Good Friday, April 7.

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK APRIL 16-22 CELEBRATING VOLUNTEERS Volunteers are at the core of the work we do at the Palliative Care Society of the Bow Valley. As a non-profit society, we rely on these committed and passionate people to help us achieve our mission and vision to bring palliative care to the Bow Valley. We can't imagine what we would do without such supporters!

PCSBV IS GROWING STRONG

Meeting the Needs of the Community

Three years ago, PCSBV turned its attention to creating community-based palliative/grief support programs. Since that time our volunteer team and our programs have gone from strength to strength. We now have nearly 50 volunteers enrolled in our client- care support program, have received our 100th client referral this month, and have our sights set on creating two focused volunteer teams: dementia care, and grief practitioners. To continue to meet the needs of our Bow Valley community, we are expanding our staff team to add a fulltime Volunteer Coordinator. Bill Harder will continue to oversee the programs and volunteers and take the lead in the development of the programs and supports we provide. Day to day client-care and volunteer team management will move to the Volunteer Coordinator. Our hope is to have this up and running this spring.

The PCSBV staff would like to take a special moment to say thank you to our volunteers. We have grown to be a rather large team; including our Board of Directors, committee members, event volunteers and client-care volunteers we boast a crew of 85 people committed to palliative, end-of life and grief care in the Bow Valley! We are holding a Volunteer Appreciation Event for our wonderful crew of volunteers to celebrate the generous gifts of time and talent they contribute to nurturing the quality of life for our clients, their families, our colleagues and our supporters.

OPPORTUNITY Volunteer Coordinator

PCSBV Volunteer Appreciation Event

Wednesday, April 19, 2023 Drop-in between 4-7 PM

Are you passionate about volunteer work and have an aptitude for meticulous record-keeping? Are you someone that can prioritize the support and safety of both clients and volunteers and uphold the values of PCSBV?

CanMore Together, 717-9 St. #105 (in the alleyway between the Civic Centre and The Tavern)

Check out our latest role with our amazing team: Volunteer Coordinator

Closing: April 23, 2023 at 5pm MT

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT KRISTIN FRY, FUND DEVELOPMENT BY EMAIL AT FD@PCSBV.CA OR CALL (403) 707-7633 SUPPORT PCSBV

OPTIONS TO DONATE

The Palliative Care Society of the Bow Valley offers essential community support services to those in our community experiencing life-altering changes, including terminal diagnoses, life-limiting illness, and grief through our client care volunteer program. Together with supporters like you we can achieve our goals to offer a full spectrum of palliative care services and programs delivered to communities, individuals and families in the Bow Valley.

General Donations are used for programs currently with the greatest need of your financial support.

Tributes honour a family member, friend, or loved one.

Building donations support creating a residential hospice home accessible to the Bow Valley community. Monthly donations will ensure constant support throughout the years.

Thanks to generous donors, PCSBV provides client care services without a fee.

Donations of $25 or more will receive a charitable receipt.

WAYS TO DONATE

Click on the link >>> Online at www.pcsbv.ca and click on the “Donate” button. Send a cheque to: DONATE

Palliative Care Society of the Bow Valley, PO Box, 40113, Canmore Crossing, Canmore, AB, T1W 3H9.

VIDEO RESOURCE

Have you thought about your own advanced care plan? Is it one of those things you keep putting off? An advanced care plan doesn't have to be complicated, but it is something worth doing. Advanced care planning is about having conversations with trusted individuals around you about what you want in the event that you become unable to speak or share your wishes for yourself. This includes both health and personal care helping to guide the decisions that may have to be made in your future. Often not something we think about until it happens to us or a loved one - Advanced Care Planning empowers both ourselves and others peace of mind that we are prepared for the unknown. Having these discussions is important for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately anything can happen at any time. Advanced Care Planning is not solely for those advancing in age or currently facing a serious medical issue. By having open conversations often and early, we can ensure that our preferred next steps are known giving us a voice in our care decision and reducing that stress on loved ones. You can also find resources and activities to start a discussion at Advanced Care Planning Canada. Here is a conversation starter to try: How Well Do You Know Me Game From the Speak Up Campaign. (To encourage conversation and better understanding of each other.) ADVANCED CARE PLANNING DAY APRIL 16, 2023

PCSBV has hosted webinars on Advanced Care Planning that you can refer to in our video library.

READING RESOURCE

Kathryn Mannix book - “Listen”

"Listen: A powerful book about life, death,

relationships, mental health and how to talk about what matters – from the bestselling author of With the End in Mind."

PCSBV LENDING L I BRARY

We have a small and growing lending library. Anyone wanting to borrow a book may do so by emailing info@pcsbv.ca.

SPECIAL DAYS & AWARENESS DATES

National Caregiver Day - April 5 World Health Day - April 7

Advanced Care Planning Day – April 16 National Volunteer Week April (16-22) PCSBV Volunteer Appreciation Event - April 19 National Day of Mourning - April 28 National Hospice Palliative Care Week (May 7-13) PCSBV Hike for Hospice - May 7

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