The Sunset Country Palliative Care Committee invites you to attend
“The Pushing Up Daisies Fair” to be held April 20th. This is an informational fair, with many booths to be available, with professionals sharing their knowledge on death and dying. All attending will be able to speak with local services to help you and your family support the journey of death and dying.
Laura McCormick (Palliative care coordinator for tribal area health services) and Julie Cousineau (Director of nursing RHCF) are the co-chairs of of this Sunset Country Palliative Care Committee.
I had the opportunity to ask Laura and Julie a few questions about this first ever to be held fair.
I was informed that the Sunset Country Palliative Care Committee is a committee that consists of multiple agency health care providers, providing care and support across the district. The committee aims to improve the provision of palliative care for the clients and family throughout the Rainy River District.
The purpose of the “Pushing Up Daisies” campaign is to bring awareness to all of our communities to what services are available when dealing with a life limiting illness. It’s the first ever “Pushing Up Daisies” fair. The hope of the committee is to make this an annual event. It brings all of our care partners together under one roof. The hope of this event is to improve access, provide education and really just to enhance palliative care.
The target audience for this event can be anyone right from young children to the elderly. It’s for anyone who has been faced with a life limiting illness, or supported a loved one through their journey, even people who are grieving a loved one who has passed. Anyone who has been touched by or faced with death or dying will benefit from this event.
Those attending this fair can expect informational booths set up by each care provider that will provide you with information and resources. There will be snacks provided.
It will be a warm non-judgemental environment where people feel safe to talk about death and dying. One hope is to create a space for people to start the conversation about death and dying.
The Sunset Country Palliative Care Committee’s goal for hosting this event, is to build awareness, to help people become more comfortable talking about death and dying and to show the district what services are available.
Laura and Julie shared with me, there are many reasons they think this event is so important to our surrounding communities.
One being it’s the first time that all palliative care services will be together for the purpose of improving palliative care services in our district.
It really will help people become more comfortable. It will help people think about death and dying differently, and can help break the stigma about death and dying.
This event takes place at the Sunset Métis Hall (714 Armit Ave) from 1-6 p.m. Be sure to mark April 20 on your calendar. The co-chairs, organizers and all involved in this undertaking are all feeling hopeful this fair will make a difference in thr lives of those attending. Be sure to come out and see what is available to people in our surrounding area at this Pushing Up Daisies Fair!
