Hello all, and welcome to fall! Autumn is finally here, and I’m all the happier for it. With the leaves turning all kinds of colours and the fresh wind swirling, I’m making it a habit to stop and appreciate what’s in front of me. This exercise helps me to ground myself and be grateful.
The month of October is also the occasion for a somewhat different, but oh-so-important health promotion day: Hospice & Palliative Care Day. Perhaps you have the experience of caring for someone at the end of life, or maybe you are lucky enough never to have had to worry about it. Either way, let me tell you why we should talk about end-of-life.
Talking about death can help you lead a more fulfilling life
Indeed, death isn’t small talk material or something that comes up easily in a conversation. There are, however, many benefits to talking about death more often. First, it helps you to be prepared. This can ease the pain and promote healing when you’ll eventually be coping with a death in your family or friends. Talking about end-of-life is also a great way to deal with fear in a real way. It gets you to turn worries into concrete actions, like making a will or filling in your advanced medical directives. Moreover, dealing with your end-of-life can lead you to be more grateful for the life you lead.
Being comfortable with such a delicate subject can also lead you to become more empathetic and perhaps a better friend. Lastly – and this is my favourite reason of all – talking openly about death can contribute to fostering a culture that values and respects the end-of-life journey. If you would like to pursue this reflection, feel free to join us on the first session of the Death 101 series: Medical Aspects of Dying on the evening of Tuesday, October 10 on Zoom.
Thank you to Karine, OT extradordinaire!
As October is also Occupational Therapy Month, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to mark our dear Karine’s 25 years of service at the Day Centre. Those of you who attend the Day Centre every week already know how her infectious laugh can light up the whole room. We’ve been lucky to have Karine all this time and we look forward to many more years with her. From all of us at the Wellness Centre: Thank you, Karine!
Before signing off, let me remind you that if you are an English-speaking caregiver in the Capitale-Nationale region, please know that I am here to provide you with personalized advice and support. Feel free to register for our Caregivers’ Circle support group, to reach out to me by email at afortinmaltais@jhpartners.net or call me at 581-446-7476.
Take good care of yourselves,
Anaïs
