Sudbury Residents Invited to Free Workshop on Advance Care Planning

A free workshop aimed at guiding residents in Greater Sudbury through the process of advance care planning is set to take place on November 25, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The session, hosted by Maison McCulloch Hospice as part of its Dying Well series, seeks to empower individuals by helping them articulate their health care wishes during critical moments.

The workshop addresses a pressing need for proactive discussions regarding health care decisions. According to Julie Aube, executive director of the hospice, many families are forced into making critical choices under emotional duress when these conversations are postponed. “What we see here at hospice is families that are coming in in a state of crisis and they’re having to make decisions on the fly,” Aube explained. “We want to give more power and control to our community members over their health care journey by having these conversations before they end up in the health care system.”

Participants can attend the workshop individually or with a loved one. The session will be facilitated by palliative care coaches, who will provide guidance in a supportive group environment.

Key Objectives for Attendees

Facilitator Jennifer Gosselin, a registered social worker and geriatric assessor, highlighted the primary goals for attendees. One of the main objectives is for each participant to identify a substitute decision maker—someone who can make health care choices on their behalf if they become unable to do so.

“We’re going to ensure that everyone leaves the session able to identify who their substitute decision maker is,” Gosselin stated. “This person will make decisions for you if you can no longer do so mentally.” Participants will also receive resources to help document their values, wishes, and beliefs regarding health care.

Gosselin emphasized the importance of this planning, describing it as a profound gift to family members. “It’s almost a promise that you will make jobs easier for your family during an emotional time,” she said. Knowing that discussions have taken place in advance alleviates the burden of guessing a loved one’s wishes.

Research Component to Improve Future Planning

The workshop will include a voluntary research component led by Dr. Caroline Duquette, a third-year medical resident at NOSM University. Duquette is studying the effectiveness of group sessions for completing advance care plans, which emerged from a previous project that examined how to integrate advance care planning into family physician offices.

“What we learned was that it is still very difficult for family and nurse practitioners to facilitate these discussions regularly,” Duquette noted. She aims to establish a model that can be replicated in other communities. “Can we share this throughout the province and be a model for other communities?” she asked, emphasizing the potential impact of the findings, which will be presented at a provincial conference in the spring.

The workshop will take place at the United Steelworkers’ Hall. Interested individuals can register online or by calling 705-674-9252, ext. 222. The registration deadline is November 23, 2023.

This initiative represents an opportunity for residents of Sudbury to gain clarity and control over their health care preferences, while also contributing to valuable research that could enhance advance care planning across the province.