November 2023
PCSBV Bulletin Special Community Summit Edition
#202 - 1080 Railway Ave. | Canmore, AB T1W 1P4
(403) 707-7111 | pcsbv.ca
Community Summit: Compassion & Care Kick starting new conversations
Across the two weeks, we welcomed more than 300 people to events - from small elected official conversations, to larger public presentation events - we were thrilled by the level of interest and the openness of the conversations that took place. In addition, we were able to capture some great video material that we will be looking to share with our community over the coming weeks - we filmed the public presentations and will be releasing those in short order, as well as one-on-one interviews with our special guests sharing their insights and ideas.
In 2022, we were thrilled to bring Drs Kathryn Mannix, Hsein Seow and Sammy Winemaker to our community in our Speakers Series. The feedback we received and the popularity of these events, set us planning as to what an in-person event might look like. We hoped to continue the conversation about living with a life-changing illness and the difference a compassionate community could make. After months of planning and preparation, and thanks to the generosity of our donors and supporters, we were very excited to host our guests here in the Bow Valley in October and to once more elevate the discussions and continue the dialogue.
Thank you to everyone that joined us and supported the visits!
Community Summit: Compassion & Care Dr. Kathryn Mannix
Dr. Mannix’s visit to our Bow Valley region was the final leg of her lengthy visit to Canada and we were honoured to be the final stop on her tour. She brought valuable information from her tour to our region. She shared those learnings along with knowledge from her lengthy career in palliative medicine, through the talks and events she graciously participated in while here. Her two days with us were jam- packed and incredibly insightful. Dr. Mannix asked us to consider how our community could think about challenging the notions we have about death and dying, to create environments where the conversations around our finality can be welcome and open. She encouraged each of our audiences to explore and welcome inquisitiveness and learning.
As she noted, we learn about the process of conception, birth, and development but we don’t have the equivalent discussion about how our bodies, at the end of our days, start to slow and shut down.
The Bow Valley is a community that’s united in appreciation of the magnificence of its setting held between their mighty mountains and joined by the curving beauty of their river. This is a community that appreciates wellbeing and the outdoors. I was impressed by stories of hospice volunteers helping members of the community who are less mobile. To get outside, to ski and walk, to fish, or simply to sit and relish living in this glorious place. This is the essence of palliative care. It’s all about living, depite the challenges of ageing or illness. It’s about filling our hearts and souls with what matters most to us. The mission of the PCSBV is to make that possible for all residents along the valley. Whether that’s up a snowy mountain of beside a turquoise river, or at ease in bed or chair, this is an organisation with the vision and drive to change lives for the better to their last moments, and to support bereaved people as they process their grief. It was an honour and delight to visit the PCSBV and to be inspired by the energy of its volunteers and leaders. ~ Dr. Kathryn Mannix
The opportunity to explore these discussions can be a gift for us and our loved ones should we choosed to grasp it.
Community Summit: Compassion & Care Dr. Hsien Seow & Dr. Sammy Winemaker
Dr. Hsien Seow and Dr. Sammy Winemaker have emerged as leaders in Canada in the palliative care and end-of-life care movement, with their direct yet engaging way of tackling the topics of living with a life-changing diagnosis, to death and dying. We were so pleased that they came to join us in the Bow Valley for several days of targeted conversations with our community. What started as a simple idea last fall then blossomed into an incredible week of bringing challenging discussions into the light - and with their disarming charm, Sammy and Hsien were able to encourage hundreds of our community members into the conversation. Sammy and Hsien’s visit included a range of events - from health providers in Canmore and Banff, to Alberta Hospice Leaders, to elected officials, to general public curious about the topic.
What we learned in our time during the Summit, not just from Sammy and Hsien, but from Kathryn too, is that our organization and community is on the right track. We are doing the accurate work to assess our community needs and available resources with our gap analysis, we are putting the correct programs in place to support people looking for someone to take the journey with them, and we are preparing the way for a community gathering place in our future hospice home.
The Bow Valley is a beautiful and unique place for our community members to spend
their days after a life- changing diagnosis. Embrace the beauty of the journey.
Sammy and I met such an incredible group of providers, volunteers, and citizens who are truly building a compassionate community in Bow Valley! Patients and families need a caring community to fill in the social needs that the medical system was never designed to meet. ~ Dr. Hsien Seow, Ph.D. ~
PCSBV Community Summit HIGHLIGHTS & RESOURCES
Hope for the Best, Plan for the Rest, authored by Dr. Seow and Dr. Winemaker, is a new book featured and discussed at our Fall Community Summit.
“This book is about hope in the face of uncertainty. It's about how to live well, be fully informed, and be activated. How to feel more like a person, not a patient. But most of all, how to be hopeful and prepared at every step along the way.”
Dr. Kathryn Mannix and Leslie Machon
“ I was honoured to meet the woman who was a pivotal part of my creating and teaching death curriculum in Alberta classrooms. “ Infusing her talk with a dash of British humor and drawing upon her 30 years of experience in the palliative field to illuminate her points, Dr. Kathryn Mannix highlighted that death is a 'delicate' topic, rather than a 'difficult' one, a reframe that creates more space for engaging in these conversations. She discussed the concept of "ordinary dying" to alleviate the stigmas that arise from sensationalized portrayals of death in the media. Dr. Mannix explained that by gaining a genuine understanding of the physical process of a normal death, and by moving conversations about death from behind a doctor's door to open dialogues involving individuals, families, and communities, fears diminish, enabling individuals to create a supportive environment well in advance of someone's passing, where wishes and preferences can be better understood and respected. Dr. Mannix enabled her audience to imagine a future where community containment and systemic support were intricately interwoven into the way people experience and interact with death. Dr. Mannix’s presentation inspired me to cultivate deep space, within myself, and relationally too, for the inevitability of death, the confrontation with the unknown, and the most important conversations. She reminded everyone in the room to lay our avoidance to rest, to speak candidly about death with everyone around us, and to infuse dignity and beauty into the dying process —-preferably with a cup of tea in hand. I express my profound gratitude to PCSBV for affording me this invaluable opportunity to learn from Dr. Mannix and carry her teachings into my classroom, where I can better support our youth in exploring the complex topics of grief, loss, and death.
Thanks to the generosity of the authors, part of the proceeds go to PCSBV. If you would like to purchase copies, please call 403-707-7111 or email info@pcsbv.ca.
VIDEO RESOURCES
During our Community Summit, Dr. Mannix and Drs. Seow and Winemaker allowed us to film their public presentations.
IN CONVERSATION WITH DR. KATHRYN MANNIX
IN CONVERSATION WITH: DR. SAMMY WINEMAKER AND DR. HSIEN SEOW
Also, Theresa Radwell, CEO, speaks on the growth and future of the Palliative Care Society of the Bow Valley. The Future of PCSBV
- Leslie Machon, 7-12 Humanities Teacher
P ROGRAMS PCSBV
LIFE AFTER CAREGIVING GROUP
LIVING WITH LOSS GROUP
In reflecting upon experiences as a caregiver, the following questions may arise:
What is my place in the world after caregiving?
Who am I now that my loved-one has died?
Living with Loss Group - Indoors!
Open to all who are 18+. A compassionate and welcoming space to connect to, learn from, and listen to each other. During these sessions it’s common to enjoy discussions around remembrance, resilience, and reflection.
Is There Life After Caregiving?
Life After Caregiving is a facilitated group supporting individuals adjusting following the death of a loved-one for whom they were caregivers. In the months following the end of an intense caregiving role, navigating a new normal that is comfortable and rewarding can be challenging. The Life After Caregiving support group is available for anyone bereft of their caregiver role.
Location: Canmore Recreation Centre 1900 - 8 Avenue (Participants meet at the front desk)
DECEMBER 2023 - HOLIDAY BREAK JANUARY 2024 DATES: 10, 17, 24, 31
DECEMBER 2023 - HOLIDAY BREAK JANUARY 2024 DATES: 10, 24
Drop in participation.
403-707-7111.
info@pcsbv.ca
Register at:
CLIENT CARE VOLUNTEERS
ART THERAPY GRIEF GROUP
PCSBV Available training courses and dates can be found on our Volunteer Training Calendar. Click HERE to view course details and register DECEMBER 5 - OLDS & DISTRICT HOSPICE SOCIETY VOLUNTEER TRAINING – SELF CARE 7:00 - 8:30 PM DECEMBER 14 - PCSBV VOLUNTEER TRAINING – GRIEF COMPANIONING 6:00 - 9:00 PM
In Art therapy, feelings and thoughts can be communicated without the use of words. Emotions can be explored in a drawing, painting, or a sculpture. They can be released onto a page or a canvas or kneaded into a piece of clay.
STARTS IN THE NEW YEAR! JANUARY 2024 DATES: 20, 27
Register at:
Bill.harder@pcsbv.ca
In the circle of life, we all have a defined beginning and a defined end. In between these bookends of life are millions of moments that write our life story.
PCSBV ANNUAL APPEAL
Area of Greatest Need donations are used for programs currently with the greatest need of your financial support. Yet, in the instant of a diagnosis of a life changing illness, each moment becomes finite and precious. YOUR DONAT ION IS URGENTLY NEEDED!
At the Palliative Care Society of the Bow Valley, the person, the family, and loved ones are what is important, not the illness. What matters most to each of our clients is at the heart of what we do. Our essential programs and services provide support to those in our community experiencing life-changing circumstances, including diagnoses, chronic conditions, and grief, while helping navigate the path ahead. Your generosity enables us to provide vital support and solace to meet the needs of families. This past year, the demand for our programs and support has increased significantly. Our work has expanded to meet these needs, reaching further into our community, and having greater impact. Our future vision remains to support Bow Valley residents with a palliative approach to care wherever they call home, including a building at the heart of our work. Earlier this summer, this vision began its exciting reality with the approval of the land for development. As we move ahead, we must not lose sight of the ever-growing need for the essential services we provide everyday. Working closely with our partners, we will continue to meet the demands of our Bow Valley clients and their families. There is much work to do. Now more than ever, we are relying on your financial assistance to continue building on the foundations we created in our community over the past several years. Your support allows us to keep meeting demand, grow our programs and services, and foster partnerships and collaborations while building a rural palliative care centre and residential hospice that welcomes people at every stage of their palliative care journey.
OPTIONS TO SUPPORT
Areas of greatest need
Campaign fund
WAYS TO SUPPORT
Click on the link >>> DONATE DONATE HERE
Online at www.pcsbv.ca and click on the “Donate” button.
Send a cheque to:
Palliative Care Society of the Bow Valley, PO Box, 40113, Canmore Crossing, Canmore, AB, T1W 3H9.
**Donations of $25 or more will receive a charitable receipt.
By giving to PCSBV, you become an important part of this vision here in our community.
With warm regards,
Theresa Radwell, CEO, PCSVB
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