Experiences with Palliative Care: A video series from Health Canada
“It’s hard for one person to take of all these responsibilities….”
Meet Guneet. She cares for her grandmother who has multiple illnesses that are ongoing and long lasting. Palliative care helped improve her grandmother’s health and quality of life.
“They sent me home with a box that said ‘End of Life.’ They didn’t have much of an expectation for me….”
Meet Mary Lee. Some days, she needs help getting dressed, and other days she is full of energy. As much as her health fluctuates, so does her care.
“I’m living with ALS. And I’m dying with ALS.
… It’s amazing the supports that are out there.”
Meet Mike. He is living with ALS. Palliative care provides the assurance that each day, he has what he needs to live the best life he can.
“…a beautiful baby, a beautiful gift of life.
He was about 6 or 7 months old when he had the crisis….”
Meet Biba. The stress and anxiety of caring for her son who lives with a chronic illness was having an impact on her health. By recognizing that she was going through a grieving process, a weight was lifted off her shoulders.
“It’s like having an invisible twin with whom you go through life all the time, but whom other people can’t see.
I was diagnosed with sickle-cell anemia when I was six months old.”
Meet Ismael. He lives with a chronic illness that causes pain and fatigue. Palliative care provides him with long-term management and psychosocial support.
“I found it hard just to hold my brush straight, because I was on so much medication that I had the shakes. When you create or paint, you can express your emotions, let them out.”
Meet Alex. Palliative care has helped him regain control of his life and introduced him to art therapy, which allows him to express his emotions.
Palliative care goes beyond end-of-life-care. It focuses on quality of life and supports for people living with serious illness, their caregivers and those closest to them.
Health Canada, with support from key stakeholders, has launched a campaign to help raise awareness of palliative care and grief, including the benefits of introducing a palliative approach to care early in the illness journey. The campaign includes sharing stories from people in Canada who have accessed palliative care services.
Thanks to Health Canada for making this video series available.
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