Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long-Term Care
Individuals in long-term care (LTC) who are reaching end-of-life have unique physical, emotional, social, psychological, and spiritual needs. A palliative approach to care ensures these needs are being met in a compassionate way that enhances the quality of life, limits suffering and provides needed comfort.
This podcast explores the palliative approach to long-term care through conversations with patients, health care professionals, family members, researchers and others who want to improve how we care for people in long-term care.
Production of these podcasts has been made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada.
Selected by Feedspot as one of the Top 15 Long Term Care Podcasts and one of the "20 Best Nursing Home Podcasts" lists for 2024!
Selected by MillionPodcasts as one of the Top 60 Long Term Care Podcasts, Top 45 Palliative Care Podcasts and Top 70 Caregiver Podcasts on the web.
Episodes
43 episodes
Living and dying with dignity, choice and compassion: a conversation with End-of-Life Doula Jennifer Mallmes
"If I had one wish of what the healthcare system knew about end of life doulas, it would be that if you embed end of life doulas into your healthcare settings, not as healthcare professionals, but as social emotional supports that their job...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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19:19
Be bold, be different: a conversation with Elroy Jespersen about The Village Langley
"There are people who are saying we can't continue to do what we've always done. Don't tinker around the edges and make things a little bit better in the same old template that you've always had. Get rid of that. Change it radically, ...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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22:58
Creating a home in long-term care: a conversation with architects Neda Basharat and Tony Ross
How does architectural design impact the quality of life for residents in long-term care? And how does design influence a palliative approach to care? We spoke with two architects at Montgomery Sisam Architects who have a particular passion for...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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18:23
Creating meaningful spaces and experiences: a conversation with Laurel Pizarro and Helen Stoakes of Grand View Manor
"It's about looking at the finer things... preferences in their meals, and giving families special spaces to be together with their loved ones in those final moments ... ensuring we meet the needs of each individual resident."
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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16:24
What is delirium? A conversation with members of SPA-LTC's Partner Working Group
"It's kind of an altered state of consciousness where they are just not themselves. Dealing with my dad, sometimes it comes across as delusions and paranoia, it's this otherness, it is not him. It's a body response or a mind's response to t...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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16:17
Music Therapy in Palliative Care: a conversation with Sheila Killoran
"There's kind of a magical quality with music, a healing or a support really that comes from the music. As long as people have been around, we have been making music and it really does connect with us on an emotional level." - Sheila K...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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19:58
Equine therapy in long-term care: a conversation with Jennifer Semach
"Sometimes people can really shut down and the horses can get in there and reach in and welcome them back to being present. The horses are gifted. It's all them."Jennifer Semach is the founding Executive Director and program fa...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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15:05
Caring for a partner with dementia: a conversation with Fay Martin
"You don't know what's going wrong. And you have all these theories, but it's a long time before dementia is one of the hypotheses..."Fay Martin is a retired social worker who lives in Haliburton County, a small rural community in Ontar...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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16:50
Person-centered care and the role of the Social Worker in Long-Term Care: a conversation with Kristen Lew-Byrne
What is person-centered care and how does it contribute to a 'good' death? We spoke with Kristen Lew-Byrne, a registered social worker who talked to us about patient-centered care, and how social workers work with team members, residents and fa...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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13:48
The Nurse Practitioner's role in palliative care: a conversation with NP Jennifer Burgess
"Nurse Practitioners are well positioned to help residents and families navigate their life limiting illness. We have the knowledge and skillset to provide their primary medical care, their maintenance therapies, and the treatment of chroni...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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17:02
Pre-Printed Orders and decision-making in palliative care: a conversation with LPN Sarah Murphy
"I think a lot of people, when you say the word palliative, they think the end of life is imminent. And that's not the case at all. These are conversations that should be starting to happen on move in or even before move-in." S...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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13:25
Tools for for transitions in end-of-life care: a podcast with Registered Nurse Ryan Collins
How do we support the elderly and their loved ones as they transition through the phases of end of life? Registered Nurse Ryan Collins talks with us about how the Palliative Performance Scale tool and courses through the SPA-LTC program have he...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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14:52
Order sets for improving palliative care: a conversation with palliative care physician Dr. Melanie Leger
Dr. Melanie Leger is a palliative care physician in Moncton, New Brunswick. She recently developed standardized templates for order sets in palliative, to help guide community and long-term care health professionals as they review and update pa...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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13:09
Health Equity in palliative care for Indigenous peoples: a conversation with project leader and researcher Holly Prince
How do we address the issues of health equity when jurisdictional issues create a gap between two systems of care? We spoke with Holly Prince about the barriers to care for Indigenous peoples, and the importance of equitable access to palliativ...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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22:28
Social programs for people with dementia: a conversation with Green Care Farms founder Rebekah Churchyard
A Green Care farm is a combination of agricultural activities and a population that could benefit from time in the outdoors. Green Care Farms CEO and Founder Rebekah Churchyard provides outdoor day programs for people with dementia, connecting ...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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17:39
Transitions and support when a loved one dies: a conversation with funeral director Joe Peters
How do we better support family, friends, and long-term care staff as they grieve the death of a long-term care resident? Joe Peters is a funeral director with more than 35 years of experience at funeral homes in Toronto. He has supported many ...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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15:36
Palliative Care for people living with disabilities: a conversation with Death Doula/ Grief Educator Carrie Batt
Living with a disability can add extra complexity in health care settings, especially if communication is a challenge. Carrie Batt draws from her personal and extensive professional experience within the developmental disability sector to offer...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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15:20
Palliative and long-term care for Indigenous people: a podcast with Nurse, Elder and Knowledge Keeper Jeroline Smith
How do we ensure that Indigenous people receive palliative care that aligns with their culture and spirituality? In this episode, guest host and researcher Mary Lou Kelley has a conversation with Jeroline Smith, a retired nurse, Elder and Knowl...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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18:12
Finding purpose in long-term care: a conversation with Shalom Village CEO Pat Morden
How do we make mission statements real ? Pat Morden says that leadership is critical to ensuring that people have autonomy and a sense of purpose to understand the mission.Pat Morden, the 'upcycled' CEO of Shalom Village, is committed t...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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17:36
End of Life Doulas in long-term care: a conversation with Olga Nikolajev
What role do End of Life Doulas play in long-term care, and how can they help residents, family members and long-term care staff during the dying experience? We spoke with End of Life Nurse Educator Olga Nikolajev about the role of an End of Li...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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16:11
The role of Speech Language Pathologists in long-term care: a conversation with Speech Language Pathologist Caitlin Buchell
Speech language pathologists have a unique and important role in a palliative approach to care, especially when it comes to managing risk and maintaining quality of life. Caitlin Buchell is a Speech Language Pathologist working in Manitob...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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14:25
Compassionate Leadership in Long-Term Care: a conversation with Thrive Group Executive Director Bahar Karimi
Bahar Karimi believes that compassion is the foundation to a palliative approach to care, and that it starts with ensuring that team members feel valued, safe and cared for. She believes that we need a culture change in long-term care, on...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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18:23
Community paramedics and a palliative approach to care: a conversation with Craig Jones
When you think of paramedics, do you think of 911 and emergency services? A community paramedics program in Peterborough is working to provide palliative and social services to seniors at home, with a goal to help them live well at home f...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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15:59
Embracing Diversity: new tools to support inclusion in long-term care
A new diversity toolkit is providing resources for long-term care organizations to help raise awareness of issues of equity, diversity and inclusion. The Embrac...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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18:16
Goals of Care in Long-Term Care: a conversation with physician and researcher Dr. Henry Siu
"That's where the communication bit really is important. There's still medicine along the way, there's still chronic disease management. but it's the soft skills and the relationships and how you can leverage that to really make that stay for t...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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15:31