/palliativecare/articles/rss en /palliativecare/article/connecting-reflecting-and-healing-nature-upcoming-young-adult-bereavement-retreat This month, the Supportive Care Team of the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence is hosting a three-day bereavement retreat designed for young adults ages 18 to 35 to share their stories with each other, reflect, and heal in nature. “When you grieve, and you're looking at a beautiful, quiet lake, there’s a sense of expansiveness, the feeling that you’re connected to something bigger than you, which is very reassuring and settling,” explains Pauline Orr, a social worker and psychotherapist who is leading the bereavement program at the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence. In this interview, Pauline details how the retreat can help the young adults who have lost their loved ones. Thu, 14 May 2026 17:43:21 +0000 Vanessa Ruan 1842 at /palliativecare /palliativecare/article/family-meetings-and-heart-palliative-care In advanced illness, communication can become as complex as the medical realities patients face. Aligning the perspectives of patients, families, and healthcare teams is rarely straightforward. “You can have ten people in a room, all hearing the same thing, and leave with ten different interpretations,” reflects social worker Vivian Myron. “But when everyone has witnessed the conversation together, you at least have a shared starting point to work from.” As part of this year’s National Palliative Care Week, Vivian Myron (SW) and Jean Zigby (MD) of the Jewish General Hospital will explore this dynamic in their lecture, “Family Meetings and the Heart of Palliative Care.” Ahead of the session, Myron offers insight into the philosophy and practice behind multidisciplinary family meetings. Tue, 05 May 2026 14:41:38 +0000 alexandra.frail@mcgill.ca 1839 at /palliativecare /palliativecare/article/letter-chair-april-2026 Dear colleagues, If I told you that I was thinking about the thanato-politics of desire you might reasonably check to make sure that it’s still April Fool’s Day. But let me explain. In the wake of an outstanding lecture by Pierre Deschamps at last month’s National Grand Rounds – which I encourage you to watch when published - I’ve been thinking more about Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) and the construct of desire at the end of life. I’m not talking about desire in the romantic sense, but rather about a more basic meaning that relates to what is wished for or wanted. I want to argue here that the wish to die and the wish not to live with present or anticipated suffering are different; that policy decisions that promote access to MAID over access to palliative care as a way to achieve a “death with dignity” shape people’s desire; and that, echoing Mr. Deschamps, we face the opportunity, if not the ethical imperative, to articulate a positive (and realistic) vision of a natural death. Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:57:50 +0000 Justin Sanders 1835 at /palliativecare /palliativecare/article/magic-spiritual-care-through-eyes-jennifer-hamilton Jennifer Hamilton first heard about spiritual care while studying theology and saw it as her life’s direction. After finishing her spiritual care training at the Royal Victoria Hospital, she got an art commission and painted for a few years before starting her journey as a spiritual care practitioner during the pandemic. She has worked in many hospitals, including the Lakeshore General Hospital, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, the Neuro, Montreal General Hospital, and the Glen Site. Recently, she returned to the Royal Victoria Hospital as a spiritual care practitioner in palliative care and took on the mantle of leading the bereavement group every Friday morning. In this interview, Jennifer shares the unique role of spiritual care in palliative care. Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:34:31 +0000 Vanessa Ruan 1826 at /palliativecare /palliativecare/article/gps-health-navigators-paving-path-refugee-palliative-care-access Navigating the healthcare system is a daunting task. For Canada’s refugee population, however, palliative care access comes with additional barriers. Issues of inadequate healthcare in transit, inability to access provincial health insurance, communication issues, unstable housing, and the weight of one’s trauma leaves refugees seeking health services lost and overwhelmed. That is where GPS Health Navigators, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing palliative care access to refugees, comes in. In this interview, project manager Vilma Oliveros sheds light on how this organization offers resources and support for the under-served refugee population. Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:01:33 +0000 alexandra.frail@mcgill.ca 1824 at /palliativecare /palliativecare/article/dementia-exploring-sense-self-it-shifts Director Sarah Friedland's debut feature film, Familiar Touch (2024), is a deeply moving portrait of a woman with dementia adjusting to assisted living. The film explores issues around the concept of selfhood, aging and ageism, the value of caregivers, and challenges us to consider a possible culture change around how cognitive impairment and aging are perceived. The film will be screened on March 24, followed by a panel discussion with Zelda Freitas (BA, BSW, MSW, SW), Clinical Senior Advisor at CIUSSS Centre-West-Island of Montreal, and Claire Webster, Certified Dementia Care Consultant (PAC) and Certified Professional Con­sultant on Aging (CPCA). Wed, 18 Feb 2026 18:54:05 +0000 Devon Phillips 1822 at /palliativecare /palliativecare/article/mipccs-50th-anniversary-looking-back-future In 1976, Dr. Balfour Mount hosted the First International Congress on the Care of the Terminally Ill, in Montreal, Quebec. Since then, and through multiple names, the Congress has grown in both scale and influence, building its reputation as a meeting in which delegates experience a unique blend of deep humanism and rigorous science. As we embark on the next 50 years of palliative care, Dr. Justin Sanders, Kappy and Eric M. Flanders Chair of Palliative Care at 91ɬ��, reflects on the importance of this meeting. Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:07:07 +0000 alexandra.frail@mcgill.ca 1820 at /palliativecare /palliativecare/article/q-nadia-collette-power-art-therapy-palliative-care Dr. Nadia Collette’s art therapy practice encompasses the nature of whole person care well—her background in art therapy, bereavement, biology, and spiritual care makes her well equipped to approach palliative care from a holistic perspective. In her upcoming lecture, "Art therapy at the end of life: When the intangible becomes tangible,” Dr. Collette explains how through the relationship between art, science, and spirituality, palliative care patients can create some peace and comfort for themselves. She shares some of her thoughts with us here. Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:39:43 +0000 alexandra.frail@mcgill.ca 1818 at /palliativecare /palliativecare/article/message-chair-january-2026 For many years, I’ve felt and shared with those who will listen that working in a restaurant as a waiter was some of the best possible training for work as a physician. Something about working on your feet, keeping multiple balls (or plates, rather) in the air while working with multiple tables with different and differently timed needs and food, and all the while trying to ensure that everyone has a positive (and even memorable) experience. As I loved the pace and liveliness of a restaurant, I also love it in a hospital. While there are some out there who would disagree, I maintain that healthcare is ultimately a service industry. Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:35:29 +0000 Justin Sanders 1816 at /palliativecare /palliativecare/article/clinical-ethicists-resource-you-never-knew-you-had-0 In our work and in our lives, we set out to do right by others. However, what happens when the best course of action is not obvious? Questions that require ethical decision-making come up naturally in palliative care, and each new situation requires critical thought and communication. The 2025 edition of Palliative Care 91ɬ��’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Day will feature an ethics panel with Gabrielle Lemieux, M.A.P., David Wright, PhD, and Silvana Barone, MD. To identify key issues and tackle them step by step, the panelists will present cases based on real life events for discussion. As we wait for CPD Day to arrive, ethicist Gabrielle Lemieux enlightens us on a key resource available at the 91ɬ�� Health Centre (MUHC)—clinical and organizational ethics services. Wed, 29 Oct 2025 17:30:07 +0000 alexandra.frail@mcgill.ca 1810 at /palliativecare