29 Mar 2016
24 Mar 2016
Update on Virginia
I was fortunate to visit Virginia yesterday and she was keen to update you all on her progress. She was still with us at Calvary but hoping to go home. Her health has improved and she was in good spirits. She was a little dissappointed that she has lost her hair again. Her son and grandson helped her with the buzz cut. I think it looks fabulous! I will see you all later today.
23 Mar 2016
Reflection Question Week 6
This week will be our last week together for Part I of our journey. We will be joined by Colleen Johnstone from Palliative Care Tasmania and Anna Mackay from Hospice Volunteers as we look at the connections and supports in the wider community.
Reflection Question for this week:
What has surprised me in the course?
Reflection Question for this week:
What has surprised me in the course?
A message from Dr Dan
Hi all,
Dr Dan Fleming has sent through the youtube clip below for you to view and to reflect on how the clip links into what we were talking about with vulnerability?
19 Mar 2016
18 Mar 2016
Ethics and Vulnerability
Yesterday's session helped us to reflect on how we as people and as a health care organisation respond to the vulnerabilities around us and within. It was a very thought provoking afternoon. Dr Dan Fleming lead the session, we touched on a range of topics including decision making, conscience, assisted suicide and euthanasia. I was left feeling very stimulated. So much to think about and much more to explore. I encourage you all to continue the discussions with your friends and family and to use your journal to draw out ideas.
For our activity this week we had a panel discussion and Q and A with Dr Dan. He was joined by Dan McNeill who is a member of the Calvary Consumer Group and who spoke to the group about his personal experience of vulnerability. Dan's wife has Cancer and has been treated at our Gibson Unit and as an in patient. She is travelling well at the moment but it is a challenging journey for her and her family. We were all touched by Dan's experience and the depth of his sharing. The panel also had Kate MacNicol from our Pastoral Care team. Kate spoke to the group about her experience as a suicide phone counsellor at Lifeline and the vulnerability in young people in this space. She highlighted the critical need for people who are facing these issues or have people in their lives who are, to reach out and get connected to support. Two places we can do this are Lifeline which has 24 hour phone support 131114 and Head space 62312927.
I can't believe we have one session in Part 1 left. I feel there is much more to explore.
Video Diary for this week on its way!
For our activity this week we had a panel discussion and Q and A with Dr Dan. He was joined by Dan McNeill who is a member of the Calvary Consumer Group and who spoke to the group about his personal experience of vulnerability. Dan's wife has Cancer and has been treated at our Gibson Unit and as an in patient. She is travelling well at the moment but it is a challenging journey for her and her family. We were all touched by Dan's experience and the depth of his sharing. The panel also had Kate MacNicol from our Pastoral Care team. Kate spoke to the group about her experience as a suicide phone counsellor at Lifeline and the vulnerability in young people in this space. She highlighted the critical need for people who are facing these issues or have people in their lives who are, to reach out and get connected to support. Two places we can do this are Lifeline which has 24 hour phone support 131114 and Head space 62312927.
I can't believe we have one session in Part 1 left. I feel there is much more to explore.
Video Diary for this week on its way!
16 Mar 2016
Reflection Question
Following our session on grief and moving into ethics our question for this week is:
1. Where have you seen or felt vulnerability through the course, either personally or in another?
Tomorrow we meet Dr Dan Fleming from the Broken Bay Institute in Sydney who will help us explore ethics and vulnerability in health care. I am looking forward to listening and learning with you all.
1. Where have you seen or felt vulnerability through the course, either personally or in another?
Tomorrow we meet Dr Dan Fleming from the Broken Bay Institute in Sydney who will help us explore ethics and vulnerability in health care. I am looking forward to listening and learning with you all.
15 Mar 2016
CanTeen and Kindness Projects
We had a really important session on Thursday looking at grief and loss. It was lead by Sarah De Jonge from CanTeen. What I found really helpful was acknowledging the chaotic nature of grief and loss. There is no "one" path that we all go on, it is different for everyone. Grief also isn't only expereinced when someone dies, we ggrieve over a range of things: divorce, moving house, loss of friendship.
I found the suggestions about how to talk to people who are going through grief really useful. Bradfield did some creative cartoons that really captured this discussion.
If you or a friend would like more information about the free services CanTeen offers please go to their website www.canteen.org.au and for local enquiries 62005551 is the office number in Tassie.
Sarah ended the session looking at kindness projects and she shared her 1000 pocket hearts project which inspired all of us. Last year Calvary used some of the pocket hearts to give to family members of patients who had died.
The session ended with an activity that asked students to think about a kindness project they could start. We will revist this in Part II of the course which asks participants to create a response to their 6 week journey. Some students may choose to do a kindness project!
Here are the links to the kindness projects Sarah spoke about:
• Long Distance Love Bombs: http://www.longdistancelovebombs.com/
• 1000 Hearts: https://www.facebook.com/1000PocketHearts/?ref=hl (facebook) http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-16/making-1000-hearts-to-spread-love-and-compassion/7171088 (ABC online article)
• Kindness Cards: http://wakeupproject.com.au/kindness-cards/
I found the suggestions about how to talk to people who are going through grief really useful. Bradfield did some creative cartoons that really captured this discussion.
If you or a friend would like more information about the free services CanTeen offers please go to their website www.canteen.org.au and for local enquiries 62005551 is the office number in Tassie.
Sarah ended the session looking at kindness projects and she shared her 1000 pocket hearts project which inspired all of us. Last year Calvary used some of the pocket hearts to give to family members of patients who had died.
The session ended with an activity that asked students to think about a kindness project they could start. We will revist this in Part II of the course which asks participants to create a response to their 6 week journey. Some students may choose to do a kindness project!
Here are the links to the kindness projects Sarah spoke about:
• Long Distance Love Bombs: http://www.longdistancelovebombs.com/
• 1000 Hearts: https://www.facebook.com/1000PocketHearts/?ref=hl (facebook) http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-16/making-1000-hearts-to-spread-love-and-compassion/7171088 (ABC online article)
• Kindness Cards: http://wakeupproject.com.au/kindness-cards/
10 Mar 2016
9 Mar 2016
8 Mar 2016
CANTEEN coming to session 4
This Thursday we will meet Sarah De Jonge from CanTeen who will lead an interactive session on grief and loss. We will also be joined again this week by Bradfield - so get your texta's ready!
ABC National News
Hopefully some of you were able to see the story on ABC News on Sunday night. We will put the story on our blog soon or you can go to the ABC ewbsite and watch the Sunday night news. ABC also ran an online News story - click on link below.
Thank you to everyone for your help in telling this story.
Thank you to everyone for your help in telling this story.
4 Mar 2016
Session 3 review and reflection
How amazing it was yesterday to hear and learn from 63 year old Virginia about her experience of having a terminal illness. I think all of us were so touched listening to Virginia and then getting the opportunity to visit her in our St Johns treatment room. Thank you Virginia. We look forward to seeing you again in 2 weeks.
We were also fortunate to hear from a panel of Calvary carers in the web of care. Alistair from Hotel Services, Hannah our OT and Kathy from Infection Control. So many people working together to ensure our patients are cared for. There is such diversity in the team and so many career opportunities in this field.
Questions for Reflection?
1. What surprised you about Virginia's attitude and talk?
2. What did you learn in your small group interview about the people who deliver care at Calvary?
The team from ABC News have put together a short story on our project, it should air on 7pm News Sunday.
We were also fortunate to hear from a panel of Calvary carers in the web of care. Alistair from Hotel Services, Hannah our OT and Kathy from Infection Control. So many people working together to ensure our patients are cared for. There is such diversity in the team and so many career opportunities in this field.
Questions for Reflection?
1. What surprised you about Virginia's attitude and talk?
2. What did you learn in your small group interview about the people who deliver care at Calvary?
The team from ABC News have put together a short story on our project, it should air on 7pm News Sunday.
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