Community Conversations on Palliative Care

Location: Alberta

Dates: 2016-2019 

Project description:

The Cumming School of Medicine Engagement Hub, Alberta Health Services, and community hospice palliative care in rural communities collaborated to address palliative care service needs. This partnership incorporated local health system resources and community initiatives in supporting individuals and families living with progressive, life-limiting illnesses. A study was also completed to understand how academic institutions and health services can collaborate with community members to enhance community capacity and quality for end-of-life care.

During the research, all parties had an equal opportunity to learn from one another. Each partner identified their own goals and created their unique objectives to enhance the end of life supports. The knowledge and strength of each party allowed for useful data to resurface to catalyze the community's capacity to respond and support individuals who are approaching the end of their lives.

PHASE I:  

Airdrie & District Hospice Community Engagement (BVPELCE) project collaborated with the local community of Airdrie, Cumming School of Medicine Engagement Hub, and Alberta Health Services to identify perceptions surrounding the end of life care and recognize the requirements for further development of community end of life care.

Partners: Airdrie and District Hospice Community, Alberta Health Care, Cumming School of Medicine

Over the course of three two-hour Community Consultations with community members, we discussed six essential themes throughout the three focus groups: services, support, advocacy, education, collaboration and engagement, and developed new models of community-based support such as resource sharing, enhanced referrals, and a locally organized respite program.

PHASE II: 

Bow Valley Palliative and End Life Community Engagement (BVPELCE) project collaborated with the Palliative Care Society of the Bow Valley, the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) and Alberta Health Services (AHS) to identify community members’ perceptions to learn how to support further community development.  The project partners aimed to learn from community members’ experiences and knowledge.

Partners: Palliative Care Society of the Bow Valley (PCSBV), the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) Engagement Hub and Alberta Health Services (AHS), Cochrane Hospice Society

Community Consultations took place in 3 communities: Banff, Cochrane and Canmore.

There were two two-hour community consultations per community with 90 community members, six community consultations in total.  

The community discussed 5 significant themes throughout the six community consultations: Services (Financial barriers, delivery of Care (Home Care Vs Residential Hospice Care); Advocacy; Supports (Volunteers, Caregivers, Community, and Culture); Grief and Bereavement; Education (stigma and awareness). This initiative improved relations between the hospice societies and AHS and led to some initial outreach work with the Stoney Nakoda First Nations to identify needs and solutions specific to their communities.

PHASE 3:

Wheatland County east of Calgary is home to 4 towns and 13 villages, includes Strathmore, Rockyford, Carseland, Rosebud and communities adjacent to the Siksika Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy. The county invited the CSM Engagement Hub to facilitate a series of consultations to explore palliative care across their rural sites. 

Partners: Wheatland County Palliative Care Society, the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) Engagement Hub and Alberta Health Services (AHS)

Key contacts:

 

Associated publications:

 

  • Airdrie and District Hospice Society Community Engagement Report
  • Bow Valley Palliative & End of Life Care Community Engagement Report