Experts: National Hospice Palliative Care Week | May 5-11
National Hospice Palliative Care Week in Canada is a time to celebrate and highlight the incredible work to provide quality palliative care across the country. (Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association)
Here are some experts from McGill University who can comment on this topic:
Argerie Tsimicalis, Associate Professor, Ingram School of Nursing
Aimee Castro, PhD Candidate, Ingram School of Nursing
“Respite care is a critical service for supporting the unpaid family caregivers in Canada who put in the equivalent of $97 billion of work looking after family members who are ill or dying. In-home respite care gives both caregivers and patients temporary relief from their intensive family roles, allowing patients to access social supports outside of their home, and giving caregivers time to leave the home. Yet, our research shows that these essential and beneficial services are often expensive, inflexible, and unavailable, both locally, nationally and across the world. Hopefully, through a new National Caregiving Strategy, continued investments in innovative research and community programs will help us to build respite care services that are flexible, trusted, and accessible to all – especially at end-of-life, allowing more Canadians to die peacefully at home, where most wish to be.”
Argerie Tsimicalis is an Associate Professor in the Ingram School of Nursing and Program Director, Global Oncology, Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology. Her research focus on the collaborative creation and implementation of novel programs, services, and resources for vulnerable populations, primarily for children with rare diseases and their families, by building patient partnerships.
argerie.tsimicalis [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)
Aimee R. Castro is a doctoral candidate in Nursing at McGill University. Castro has worked as a homecare provider and an entrepreneur rendering mobile technologies accessible to older adults.
aimee.castro2 [at] mail.mcgill.ca (English)