Culture, Traditions and Being Remembered
There are as many end of life rituals as their are cultures. Each intended to ease through the dying process and to help those left behind to move on, while celebrating a life lived, and honouring memories.
For some memories are triggered by a treasured momento: a piece of jewellery, a hand-knitted blanket. For many, it’s photographs, special occasion cards, scrapbooks. For some, it’s a project worked on together for a shared experience to remember: creating a puzzle together or – using available technology – iphone video conversation. Virtual experiences offer more options: a Facebook memorial page, a shared photo library.
A new medical decision PATH for the frail elderly
Palliative and Therapeutic Harmonization: PATH In plain language PATH means an assessment and treatment recommendation that takes into account what’s going on with us as a whole person, rather than our specific parts. A worthy goal for all of us, but with particular...
Bringing Creativity into Clinical Practice with Older Adults.
It was a day of music, arts and drama, of passion and compassion, entitled, Bringing Creativity into Clinical Practice with older adults. Bringing creativity into a Clinic Day brought relief and hope to many working with Dementia and Alzheimer's patients. The...
Room 217: Care Through Music
Guest blog by Bev Foster A lot of life happens in rooms and so does a lot of death. One room I will always remember is Room 217, where my mom, five siblings, and I sang around dad’s bedside as he was dying in a hospital northeast of Toronto. Whether it was the...
Medical jargon: even single-syllable words can confound
Who’d’ve thought that simple, one and two-syllable words – which is one of the the criteria for Grade 6 reading level – could cause so much confusion, upset and medication errors. Out of context, even every-day words can confound. Consider these (true) examples: In a...
