Conference – The Gift of Palliative Care

Palliative care is often associated with the last moments of life but is actually a service that extends beyond the dying process.  It involves whole person care and can be accessed when a potential life-threatening illness is diagnosed and support is needed years before an individual faces the end of their life.  In this presentation we will help to break the myths around this service and highlight the gifts of palliative care to provide comfort and invite deeper healing, on all levels, even when cure may not be possible.

Barbara Morningstar began in the hospice field over twenty-five years ago and during that time she worked on staff at three different hospice societies within the province of BC.  In the fall of 2017, she launched “In Autumn’s Cocoon” to offer end of life education in the form of talks, workshops, and writings.  She is the author of Honouring the Mystery; Uplifting Insights from the Language, Visions, and Dreams of the Dying.  She also hosts a YouTube series titled “Inspiring, Heartfelt Conversations” in which she discusses a range of end-of-life topics with noted guests in the field from around the world.

Dr. Pippa Hawley completed Internal Medicine training in New Zealand and Canada after completing medical school and internship in England. In 1997 she set up the Pain and Symptom Management/Palliative Care Program for BC Cancer and was the first accredited Royal College Palliative Medicine specialist in BC. She is a Clinical Professor in the UBC Department of Medicine and Head of the UBC Division of Palliative Care.

Dr. Hawley has research interests in many areas of supportive and palliative care, including medical cannabis, constipation and severe cancer pain.