2nd Annual Palliative Care Conference “Doing Death Better”

GPPCS is proud to support palliative care education by providing delegates the

opportunity to gather, meet, share experiences and exchange ideas with

colleagues representing many disciplines from all over Alberta and surrounding

provinces.

With over 80 people in attendance, the 2nd Annual Palliative Care Conference held at

the Pomeroy Hotel and Conference Centre this past May was a big success. We had

a group of fantastic speakers, had the opportunity to network and view the

community showcase displays. Thank you to the speakers who attended, our

keynote: Dr. Shane Sinclair, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Calgary; Dr.

Wendy Duggleby, PhD, RN, UofA ; Kelsi McInnis, BMT, MTA Recreation Manager & Music Therapist; Jody Walker, Mental Health Promotion Facilitator,

AHS; and Dr. Eman Hassan, MD, MPH, BC Centre for Palliative Care.

Thank you to all of our dedicated volunteers and the following sponsors who made the event possible, McNabb Lucuk LLP, Canadian Tire, KMSC Law LLP,

Doug Marshall, Speedpro Imaging, Big Country 93.1, Q99, Davids Tea.

Partnering with Grande Prairie Regional College

Acting President Angela Logan and Executive Director Brenda Finch signed a

Memorandum of Understanding to formalize the partnership of the two

institutions as they collaborate to improve end-of-life care in the Peace Region.

The signing was witnessed by GPRC Vice-President External Relations

Carmen Haakstad and GPRC Dean, School of Health, Wellness & Career

Studies Dr. Shirley Pasieka.

The memorandum was signed at the commencement of National Palliative Care

Week 2019, a time to celebrate achievements in hospice palliative care and to

create bridges for gaps within the system. GPRC and the Grande Prairie

Palliative Care Society will work together to promote and provide education for

health care professionals and volunteers who deliver end-of-life care; increase

awareness of palliative care needs and resources in our region; and increase

the palliative care expertise of medical professionals in the region in order to

improve the delivery of end-of-life care to patients and their families.

PALLIATIVE CARE NEWS

SPRING 2019

2nd Annual Palliative Care Conference

Partnering with GPRC

Nav-CARE

Volunteer Training Workshop

Top stories in this newsletter

Palliative Care Volunteer & Caregiver Training

We would like to thank everyone that attended our Volunteer & Caregiver Palliative Care Training on May 29 -

30th. With over 100 people in attendance from Northern Alberta and BC, it was a pleasure to see such an

eager and engaged group of people with a passion for palliative care!

GPPCS Palliative Care Training Workshop would not be the success it was without the help and support of our

dedicated volunteers, speakers, workstation presenters our community partners; Alberta Health Services and

Grande Prairie Regional College. Please accept our heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you!

Nav-CARE — ”Making Connections. Making a Difference”

GPPCS has entered into an agreement with the U of A and UBC to deliver the Nav-CARE project in the

area.

Nav-CARE’s specially-trained volunteers help improve the lives of people living with serious illness by

creating connections to community services and resources and providing caring, consistent emotional

support. The in-depth training for volunteers will be scheduled for October.

This initiative can only be successful with the support of the community. We will be approaching various

stakeholders to sit on an advisory committee to provide their expertise and knowledge on the needs

and delivery options for the area.

Please contact Hope for more information at hope@gpcare.ca.

Compassionate Communities in Palliative Care Initiative

“We are a compassionate community that promotes living well by supporting others through caregiving, dying and grieving”

- GP Compassionate Community Vision Statement

The compassionate community initiative recognizes that all natural cycles of life happen every day and that care for one another at time of crisis and loss

should be a community effort not a task solely for the health and social services.

We are engaging the community to become a part of this initiative and thank all those who have been

participating in the meetings.

To date we have had three meetings, together we developed a vision statement and framework. As a

group we identified five pillars that will make up our framework: Strengthening Partnerships;

Education/Training & Awareness; Resources & Supports; Person Centred and Evaluation.

At the June 12th meeting, participants established priorities around the pillars, started developing and

action plan and will work over the summer to present the next steps for the fall meeting.

Thank you to the Grande Prairie Social Development for providing us with a meeting space in June

and the staff at Muskoseepi Park for accommodating us.

Our next meeting is scheduled for September 11, 2019. If you would like to join this initiative or would like more information, please email admin@gpcare.ca.

National Hospice Palliative Care Week—May 5-11, 2019

National Hospice Palliative Care Week started with the mayors proclamation.

“I Bill Given, Mayor of the City of Grande Prairie, encourage all citizens to participate by learning more about palliative care and

support in our community and do hereby proclaim May 5-11, 2019 as National Hospice Palliative Care Week.”

(Photo: Mayor Bill Given with GPPCS Executive Director, Brenda Finch)

Grande Prairie Public Library—Death Café

GPPCS is pleased to collaborate with the Grande Prairie Public Library’s in hosting a Death Café.

If death is inevitable, why is discussing it socially taboo? Let’s make time to talk about it!

Join us at the library to eat cake, drink tea, and discuss death. Through open conversation we aim to

increase awareness of death and help people make the most of their lives. Our discussion will have no

agenda, objectives, or themes.

Please note this is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session.

Next Sessions: July 31st & August 28th, Rotary Training Room, Grande Prairie Public Library from 6:30

pm—8:30 pm. For more information call Jill at 780-357-7473 or go to website www.gpplc.ca

ML Clarkson Bursary

We are very excited to announce the “ML Clarkson Bursary”. Marion Clarkson is a retired teacher with a passion for life-long learning and is very

supportive of the volunteers as well as health care professionals in palliative care. Marion generously donated the funds for this bursary earlier this year

which will be available to both volunteers and health professionals wishing to pursue their education in palliative care.

The application process will be available on our website in the near future. We’re very honored she chose to support and promote palliative care

education. Thank you Marion.

Lake Saskatoon Community Club Donation

A very special thanks to the Lake Saskatoon Community Club, for providing the funds from the Francis

Ramsden legacy, to purchase the specialized Hill-Rom Centrella Smart Bed for hospice.

The latest in technology with optimized patient safety equipment and advanced caregiver technology

including a therapeutic mattress to manage pressure and wound prevention.

(Photo—Left-Right:Hosnatul Ferdous, Brenda Finch, Carol Rutherford-Oakly, Aileen Grimsrud, Cate Sazawan, Kathy

Sebastian)

Upcoming Events

Motorcycle Mondays— Join us July 15 @ Red-Line Power Craft. BBQ 5:30 pm—7:30 pm. Proceeds will go to GPPCS & Stars. Find more information

on our facebook page.

Volunteer Appreciation—September 4.

Nav-Care Volunteer Training—October 2&3. For more information contact hope@gpcare.ca

Grief & Loss Workshop—Facilitated by Rob Smith- October 19 & 20

Volunteers

Morganne Gammel: We are very happy to announce that one of our own volunteers has been chosen to receive the

Alberta Hospice Palliative Care Association, Jean Stone Scholarship. The scholarship supports volunteers working in

palliative care by helping to broaden their knowledge. Only two scholarships are awarded each year and our own

Morganne Gammel is one of the well deserving volunteers. She is pursuing further

education in palliative care grief and bereavement. Congratulations Morganne!

Sunflower Seeds: A special thank you to the Adult Day Program at Prairie Lakes Seniors

Living for helping us with our sunflower seed program. They made up 200 sunflower

packets for GPPCS to distribute into the community to promote awareness of palliative

care.

Morganne teaching Self-care

breathing techniques to other

volunteers Anja Fox, program facilitator,

and the residents hard

Thank you to Connie Sheridan who donated some beautiful handmade lap blankets for the comfort care bags.

Grande Spirit Foundation Lakeview Residents, Lise Gillon,

Elizabeth Peters, Alice Chrenek, Doris Toerper, Rachel

McGregor, Cathy Dettling and Christine Rorem got right to

work and made 14 shawls from the fleece donated by

Fabricland for the comfort care bags. What a team!

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS: we are receiving an increasing number of requests for volunteers to sit with palliative clients in

hospice, facility and home. Please contact Hope McNally if you are interested in helping out with this program at

hope@gpcare.ca.

Grande Prairie Palliative Care Society Funded in Part By:

Grande Prairie Palliative Care Society Community Supporters

Thank you to the following your recent support, which allows us to continue to provide palliative supports to the community.

Kasa Management

Grande Prairie Regional College

Elevated Web Solutions

Infotech Solution Providers Inc

HiTech Business Systems

Pomeroy Inn & Suites

Fabricland

Velda Diederich

Napa Auto Parts

LJ Books & The Konno Family

Grande Prairie Palliative Care Society Memorial Donations

July 2018—June 2019

Thank you for your generosity!

AECOM

Larry & Vella Anderson

Warren & Karen Baehler

Norman & Joanna Balaski

Donna Beckensell

Phyllis Belaire

Anthony & Mary Anne Blonski

Gary & Sharon Bohnet

Helen & Dale Bonner

Marilyn & Floyd Bozarth

Judy Brewster

Douglas Buchta

Guy & Moanne Buchta

Joan Mary & Barker Buchta

Grant & Kathleen Bulford

Jean Burris

Alex & Jean Cameron

W C Campbell

Canadian School of Hydrocarbon Measurement

Bruce & Elaine Carrie

Audrey Cerny

Tina Chambers

Stanley & Bunita Chisholm

Marion Clarkson

Lenord & Elizabeth Connah

Donna & Calvin Conrad

Donna Craig

Gerd Cramer

Stanley & Elizabeth Crowshaw

Barry Cyr– Skydive BC

Deep Valley Forestry

Gail Derae

Gary & Shirley Dixon

Robert & Leslie Donaldson

Violet & Jerry Dorscheid

Dennis & Lucille Driver

Paulette Dunlop

Lance & Trudy Edgar

Lynn Ens

James & Twyla Eskdale

Coreen Evaskevich

Gwen Facette

Tom & Mary Facette

Margaret Fath

Brenda Finch

Robert & Ruth Finch

June & Peister Fong

Sherrill Fowler

Kenneth Fredrickson

Ron & Debbie Friesen

Margaret Gagnon

Benita Galandy

Pat & Muriel Garrett

Lorne & Linda Greenhorn

Dave & Barb Greentree

Judith Greentree

Ted & Iris Halwa

Nancy & Darrell Haughian

Catharine Hawthorne

Ellen Helgason

Max Henning

Heidi Hess

Gayle Hockey

Dolores Hollowell

Holy Family Catholic Regional Division #37

Allen & Sylvia Inman

Gertie Jaeger

Elizabeth Jessen

Leann & Barton Johnson

Robert & Carlette Johnson

Sharon Johnson

Wanda Johnson

Glen & Judy Keddie

Bert & Shirley Kenney

Jean Kimble

Faye & Harold Kjemhus

Marilyn Kroon

Kurt & Charlene Kushner

Gerta Kut

Audrey Legault

Paul & Myrna Lemay

Victor & Janice Lessard

Richy & Coreen Lindberg

Robert & Sydell Lindberg

Janet Littleton

Chad Lowe

Steve Lucuk

Jim MacDonald

David & Karen MacKenzie

Leona Matlock

Daneil Maude

Darrel McAusland

Roy McAusland

Becky McCurdy

Colleen McDames

Shelley McDonald

Joseph & Edna McLafferty

Donald & Donna McNally

Ken and Sheila McQuaig

MD of Greenview No 16

Joanne & Barry Mehler

Murray & Irene Metituk

Mabel & Alf Mielke

Robert & Daisy Millar

Doris Miller

Grace Mueller

Sharon Newman

Sharon Nielsen

James Obniawka

Occupational Health & Safety

Annie Onucki

Wade Page

Wayne & Elaine Pendree

Albert & Pamela Poetker

Gloria & Orest Ponich

Harold & Jaqueline Purcha

Brian and Christine Reichert

Judy Reichert

Keith & Adella Rice

Lori & Derek Riddle

Margaret Rieger

Roberta Babcock

Dawna Robinson

Annette Rochette

Dennis & Michelle Sampson

Brenda & Wade Sandboe

Laurie Sandboe

Ruby Sandboe

Cate Sazwan

Anne Scarrow

Teryl & Herman Schollaardt

Kathleen Shanks

Donald & Janice Sharp

Klaas & Toos Sipma

Kari & Jay Speaker Smith

Erna Stern

Ladine & Duane Stevenson

Daryl & Julie Stone

Bryanna Stubbs

Student Benefit Administrators Inc

Bernice & Clifford Sydbo

Christine Symonds

Bryan & Paulette Taylor

Lloyd & Hazel Throness

Ruth Throness

Albert Tink

Bryan Tink

Verral & Lorna Tink

Stan & Bev Tissington

Randy & Theresa Uzelman

John Arnold Van Polen

Dale & Sandee Van Volkingburgh

Leslie Vandemark

Dwight Weeks

Dale & Gaye Williams

Dale & Gerda Windiate

Evelyn & Myles Wolchyn

Jennifer & Ambrose Wrzosek

Vera & Eddy Wurtz

Delores Zatko

Contact Us:

Grande Prairie Palliative Care Society

#204-10134-97 Ave

Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 7X6

780-495-8949

admin@gpcare.ca

www.gpcare.ca