Respecting Diversity: Exploring Cultural, Spiritual and Religious Aspects of Care

Glen R. Horst MDiv, DMin, BA Shahina Siddiqui BAKali Leary BSc, MBT

What is a Virtual Hospice?

Most comprehensive online resource in the world on living with advanced illness, palliative care, loss and grief.

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Tous bilingue

Indigenous Voices:Stories of serious illness and grief

Video series and print materials based on stories of First Nations, Inuit and Métisabout advanced illness, loss and grief.

• Support tool for Indigenous people to understand what quality palliative care is and to advocate for it

• Educative tool for health care providers

Widespread mistrust of non-Indigenous health systems and authorities and few culturally safe resources and supports specific to EOL

• Addresses myths about advanced illness, PEOLC

• Validates and embraces beliefs, values, traditions

• Supports advocacy for safe, respectful, inclusive care

• Increases involvement in decision-making

All work has been guided OCAP principles

Objectives

Print materials

Free to download from LivingMyCulture.ca

• What is palliative care?

• Compassionate caring

• Care at home and away

• Helping you feel better

• What to expect

• Honouring wishes

• Making memories

• Grief and letting go

LivingMyCulture.caVideo series of personal narratives by members of 11 cultures about living with serious illness, end of life and grief.

• Stories by patients, families, HCP and community leaders

• Tool for patients/families

Healthcare services often out of sync with cultural perspectives on illness, death and grieving.

• Support and empower patients and families to advocate for culturally inclusive care

• Promote understanding of how palliative / end-of-life care issues are faced

• Educates health providers on culturally safe and inclusive care

• Improve inclusive and respectful quality care

Objectives

By the numbers• 670+ videos in 11 languages

• 11 Cultures

• 64 Storytellers

• 6 Themes

• Traditions, Rituals and Spirituality• Expectations of Care• Care for the Patient and Family• Emotions and Support• Talking About Illness• After Death and Ceremonies

Cultural groups engaged

Cultural insights

Soodi: Navigating the system

Huda: The importance of respect

Shahina Understanding beliefs

Neenu: Respecting beliefs

Linda: Welcome other beliefs

Yohannes: Suspending judgement

Dr. Montour: Using Traditional Medicines

Lawrence: Finding respectful solutions

Dr. Marotta: Meeting clinical needs

Simin: Grieving practices

Shahina: Assessing clinical needs

Bev: Reach out, person to person

Father Ben: Equality as the underpinning of quality care

Chochinov: Patient dignity question

What do I need to know about you as a person to give you the best care possible?

Using LivingMyCulture and Indigenous Voices in practice• Facilitate conversations on difficult topics with

patients and families

• Start and Encourage discussions in support groups

• Professional education and volunteer training

• Resources in libraries and patient packages

• National meetings including Palliative Care Matters Consensus Conference and the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement CEO Forum

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