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!
COME AND SIT WITH US AS WE EXPLORE ISSUES AROUND DEATH, DYING AND PALLIATIVE CARE. GET COMFY, EXPLORE, JOURNEY, CREATE!
About
Our project has 2 parts:
Part I - Education and Immersion.
6 x weekly x 90 minute sessions at Gibson Unit, Calvary St John's Palliative Care and Oncology Unit.
Each session has an education component, activity with Calvary staff and/or patients and a reflective de-brief. Starts February 18th.
Part II - Creative Response.
All participants, including adults will be asked to create a personal response to their experiences in Part I. It could be a piece of visual art, music, poem. Whatever takes their fancy!
The short term aim of this exciting pilot project is to educate and journey with Senior students from a class at St Mary’s College and Guilford Young College about Palliative and End of Life Care in the hospital setting.
The long term aim is to enhance our communites capacity to deal with death and dying in a more positive way and in so doing be able to support others who approaching and reaching the end of life. We also hope that the program will enhance the participants capacicity to personally live more "fully human, fully alive" lives.
Calvary staff, doctors, community members and organisations will be sharing their expertise about end of life care issues as well as their own stories and experiences with the participants.
At the conclusion of the 6 weeks, students and staff will respond by creating a personal response to their experiences. These responses will be shared with both the community of St Mary’s and Guildford Young College, the community of Calvary and the wider community. Response(s) could take the form of music, poetry, presentation, film, visual art.
Calvary plans to document and research the program. We also want to create our own response in the form of a short film (7-10 minutes) which will be shared at the conclusion of the course and be used as an education tool about Calvary and how we provide dignified pallitiave and end of life care for people as they are approaching and reaching the end of their life. Our vision is holistice health care which places people and their goals of care at the centre of their web of care.
The project is being funded by Calvary Hobart and Palliative Care Tasmania. The effectivenesss of the program will be evaluated as part of an approved Calvary Hobart research project.
At Calvary Hobart our vision as a Catholic not-for-profit hospital is to excel and be recognised as a continuing source of healing, hope and nurturing to the people and communities we serve. We believe that this project will help us live this vision in a creative and new way. Our values of hospitality, healing, stewardship and respect are the inspiration and foundation of this project.
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