We accompanied the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence (TDPCR) in designing its 6-month pilot project aimed at further enriching the team that accompanies the persons and families that are welcomed in its facilities. We liaised with two professional orders that buy into championing access to palliative care services and an enrichment of the interdisciplinarity involved, the Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec (OEQ) and the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec (OPPQ). A common goal of improving quality of life when chronic diseases and end of life are to be coped with has been loudly confirmed. In keeping with the first phase of the TDPCR’s pilot project, we researched the state of Occupational Therapy (OT) practices in palliative care in Quebec and in the Greater Montreal Area (GMA) and identified where communities of OT practice in palliative care are established. The latter allowed us to support the TDPCR in prioritizing its outreach within the Quebec network of palliative care resources for shared advocacy for the targeted improvements and ongoing staff training. Beyond supporting the important pilot project, we are investing in creating an opportunity to collaboratively champion quality of end of life with the OEQ and OPPQ. Dawson College, for its leadership in Physiotherapy Technology formation, has also been responsive.
On September 24, we participated in an online conference entitled “Soins palliatifs: Aide médicale à vivre (encore)”, offered by the Centre dominicain d’éthique et de vie spirituelle (CDEVS), new neighbors at the Youville Motherhouse. We were inspired by the clarity of the witnessing to how essential spiritual and personal accompaniment in chronic disease and end of life are, to the challenge of reconciling ethical, professional and legal considerations while advancing the reduction of confounders within our systems. In summary, we acknowledge the complexity of staying abreast of laws, policies and practices in both palliative care and medical assistance in dying, and endeavor to support “accompanying one another home” with love and compassion in as many ways as we can.
In relation to the One Voice Coalition,the ESCC participated in the September 9 meeting wherein representatives of the 24 organizations or teams confirmed the principles that now guide the collaborative development and implementation of pilot projects. Sharing on best practices to bridge gaps in intergenerational connections and activities is but one example of what is possible! The Diocesan Pastoral Home Care team for the English sector (SASMAD) and the Cummings Center are other faith-based members of the Coalition.