At Life and Death Matters our mission is to develop and deliver resources to increase the capacity of the individual to provide excellent care for the dying and the bereaved. As part of our “Essentials in Hospice Palliative Care” resources, we are delighted to announce our newest textbook, "Integrating a Palliative Approach: Essentials for Personal Support Workers" and the companion workbook. These resources invite Personal Support Workers (AKA Health Care Assistants, Nursing Assistants, Continuing Care Assistants etc) (PSWs) to reflect and develop greater self awareness, provide the tools to help them gather information and communicate more effectively with the health care team, and concepts to understand key issues in the dying process. Filled with practical strategies, real life stories and caregiving vignettes, this new text is the Palliative Care resource for Personal Support Workers.Although written specifically for the Personal Support Worker, Wendy Wainwright, manager of nursing and psychsocial services at Victoria Hospice, and former president of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association and British Columbia Hospice Palliative Care Association wrote, "I think that any HSW or beginning palliative clinician will benefit from such a thorough review of the many aspects of holistic care. Kath’s values about people, about nursing, about dying are woven throughout the text in a way that can only strengthen their practice. I wish such a comprehensive resource had been available when I began as a palliative care counsellor. Learning about the integration of the art and science of hospice care would have helped me identify practice standards, answered my questions and dispelled many of the myths I brought into the work."In addition to developing resources and delivering workshops on Hospice Palliative Care, I assist colleges to integrate Hospice Palliative End of Life Care in core curriculum for Practical Nurse and Health Care Assistant programs.

Death Dying and Palliative Care Education Online is an exciting interprofessional, online program. Courses help practitioners reflect on personal experiences, interact with current and classic theory, and then explore application in work or personal settings.This innovative program is flexible with a variety of learning strategies targeted to engaging people with different learning styles, and can be personalized to meet individual learning goals.Participants can enter the program any time throughout the year. Each course begins on a set date providing the participants with the opportunity to develop an online learning community. Work can be completed any time of the day or night, with five "due dates" throughout the length of the 3-4 week courses. At least one teleconference in each course provides individuals with the opportunity to meet with the instructor and colleagues. Other activities include field trips, videos, podcasts, forum postings, chats, music, small group projects.Experienced facilitators provide a link between research and practice, and facilitate the building of an warm and responsive online community.

For many years I worked on the Victoria Hospice inpatient unit, providing direct care and support to the dying person and their family/significant others. For the next 14 years I worked with the Victoria Hospice Palliative Response Team (PRT). PRT is an inter-professional crisis response team, responding to people who are dying in the community who require support. One of the blessings of working with PRT was the opportunity to work side by side with counsellors, and quick access to hospice physicians and family physicians to adapt care plans and strategies. It was an honour to work with such a fabulous team of professionals!