As Susan Bonner writes in her article The Value of End-of-Life Care, death is a painful event that we all eventually face. And in worst case scenarios, palliative care facilities such as Hospice Renfrew in Renfrew, Ontario, can make all the difference. 

However, from a 2000 Canadian senate study, current long-term care facilities can only meet about 15% of population’s demand. Given our aging population, there is a growing need for our healthcare system to increase focus and investment in hospice and palliative care centers. 

If today was your last day, what would you do-over if you could? 

Bronnie Ware, a palliative nurse who counsels those at the end of their lives, writes about the Top 5 Regrets she’s witnessed and hopes that her piece can help those reading learn from the clarity and wisdom of those in their last days. 

*All credit goes to Bronnie Ware and Susie Steiner, author of the original article at The Guardian. 

 

” 1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

“This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.”

2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.

“This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.”

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

“Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.”

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

“Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.”

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

“This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.” “

 

Join us this June 23, 2013 for the 9th Annual Healing Cycle Ride in our of support hospice palliative care in Ontario. 

The Start and Finish Line as well as the barbeque will be at GlaxoSmithKline, 7333 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, Ontario.

For more information and to register for the ride visit our website, The Healing Cycle. 

The Healing Cycle’s Kids4Kids

In our busy lives, it’s easy to feel disconnected, but there are fun and satisfying ways to bring your family together, while supporting your community.

The Healing Cycle Ride, is in its 8th year.  After raising $1,000,000 to open The Healing Cycle Foundation Palliative Care Unit at Credit Valley Hospital, the Foundation’s scope broadened to support hospice palliative care throughout Ontario. 100% of ride pledges continue to go directly to palliative care services and programs in Ontario.

The Healing Cycle’s Kids4Kids team allows kids to raise funds in support of children and their families as they face the challenge of a life-limiting illness. All funds raised by the Kids4Kids team will support Emily’s House – a community-based hospice being built in Toronto this fall. The paediatric hospice is the first of its kind in Toronto and only one of 6 in Canada. The centre is a 10 bed, family-centred hospice offering respite and palliative care in a safe, secure and home-like environment.

Emily’s House is named in honour of Emily Yeskoo who is one of the courageous young people battling a life-limiting illness. She represents hundreds of children and their families in Canada.

Join us Sunday June 24^th. The start and finish line as well as the Celebratory Barbeque (free for participants) will be at GlaxoSmithKline, 7333 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, Ontario. There will be special guests and activities for the kids.

In addition to the funds raised by the Kids4Kids Team at the Healing Cycle Ride, the Kids4Kids Team is encouraging everyone to drop off all their pennies at the Healing Cycle Ride on June 24th. The children will roll the pennies and forward the money to Emily’s House.

For more information on the Healing Cycle, please visit www.thehealingcycle.ca

by Helen Reilly, public relations coordinator, The Healing Cycle Foundation

The self-made man wanted to celebrate his 40^th birthday in a big way. It was a grand affair – an evening of celebration with friends and family in his beautiful home. There were 150 guests, four chefs, four servers, a bartender and six drivers to ensure everyone arrived home safe. When he sent out the invitations, he requested a donation to The Healing Cycle Foundation in lieu of gifts. Augi De Oliveira raised $7000 that night.

The successful business man is owner and president of World Meats Inc. – a distributer of meat products for hotels and restaurants. What started as a small shop on Bristolin Mississauga with three employees is now a thriving enterprise that employs 50 people inbusiness units that span most of a city block.

Ask him the secret to success and he’ll tell you it’s a combination of hard work and taking pride in doing well.He says he’s ‘always on the go’ and that he’s a very good listener. “I pay attention and I look for opportunities. I take pride in doing my best and being the best I can be – I always have,” he says.

“When I saw what it was all about, I was so impressed,” says Augi of the enthusiasm and the involvement of so many people at the 2010 ride. “I like the fact that 100% of proceeds from the ride go directly to palliative care. That impresses me,” he says.He was already on board but meeting volunteer Phyllis Galbraith, Corporate Relations Manager and hearing her heart-wrenching story is what confirmed for him that he was getting involved in a charity that would make a huge difference for many patients and families.

“I went home and talked to my wife because we sponsor youth sports teams and we support a variety of fundraisers, but we wanted to find a cause that we could support in a bigger way. We decided that The Healing Cycle Foundation would be the charity of choice for World Meats Inc.” he says.

When he says ‘charity of choice’ he’snot exaggerating. Since making that decision, Augihas moved forward on several fronts to benefit the foundation. Hevolunteered as Corporate Sales Manager so he can encourage other corporations to support the foundation. He also committed World Meats as a gold level sponsor for the ride. His enthusiasm is contagious – World Meats Inc. sales manager Dorothy Patruno is the volunteer event planning coordinator for the ride as well. Augi still wanted to do more.

“It is rare to have someone come forward to help a registered charity in the way that Augi has done,” says Heather Campbell, president and CEO, The Healing Cycle Foundation. “Beyond his generous donation, he has involved several of his staff as well. His level of involvement is truly inspiring to witness! Augi is respected by our volunteers at THCF because they recognize his passion for philanthropy and his huge heart. We couldn’t have asked for a better friend.”

If you would like to learn more about Augi and others like him or if you’d like to volunteer, ride, pledge a rider, sponsor, donate or raise awareness around palliative care, please visit www.thehealingcycle.ca or contact Heather Campbell, president and CEO at 905-820-6081.

Live. Love.Ride.

It was just a few years ago although now it seems like a life time. I remember sitting in the corner of the tiny hospital room,  starring endlessly at my mother.  Her skin pale, lifeless, but her spirit bright and loving.

We kept a guest book for my mother.  Everyday it was signed by her many visitors, and populated by numbers from her games of cribbage with her mother and brothers.  The book shares her journey, and captured the personal journeys had by her family and friends.  My sister and I often wrote in it.  Here is something very special my sister Krystal wrote to my mother.

Thank you for letting me share, Krystal.

Love your sister, Jackie

by Helen Reilly, public relations coordinator, The Healing Cycle Foundation

Wendy’s forty-second birthday fell on a bright, warm Monday. That afternoon, Wendy Almeida took her last breath, succumbing to her two year battle with cancer. She felt secure and loved. Friends and family gathered to celebrate with her only a day earlier. Later that week, friends and family gathered once again in Wendy’s honour – this time, for a very different reason.

There is little we can be grateful for when a loved one succumbs to disease.  Still, when he or she finds relief from pain in a comfortable environment so that precious time can be spent with family and friends, there are blessings to be counted. That is, essentially, what hospice palliative care provides.

Palliative care ensures patients with life-limiting illnesses, receive the care that considers a range of needs including physical, spiritual, psycho-social and practical. Palliative care is dedicated to valuing quality of life while supporting families as well. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough palliative care beds available to support the number of families requiring the specialized level of care. In fact, only three in 10 patients in Ontario will get access to a palliative care bed when they need one.

The Healing Cycle Foundation, through an annual bike ride and year-round information campaign, strives to increase awareness and raise the much needed funds to support palliative care initiatives in Ontario. The foundation recently surpassed its goal to raise $1 million for palliative care at The Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga and has now broadened its scope to also support hospices throughout Ontario. Through a grant process, hospices are invited to apply for funding from The HealingCycle Foundation to support expenses related to practical needs as well as programs.

The Carpenter Hospice, affectionately referred to as ‘the most special home in Burlington’ receives government funding for nurses and personal care workers only. All other operational costs rely on the $1.3 million raised by the hospice annually to support programs, food, and maintenance of the hospice itself.

Wendy chose to spend the final months of her life at the Carpenter Hospice. The 10 bed hospice is a 7,500 square foot bungalow nestled into a residential neighbourhood, located on the back portion of St. Steven’s Church property. The residential care area is in a spacious, beautifully-decorated corridor, backing onto a forest and surrounded by gardens lovingly maintained by volunteers. It is a special place that embraces the needs of patients and their families by tending to medical necessities while supporting the spiritual, social and practical needs of patients and families.

Lesley Hirst, RN, Advanced Practical Nurse and Executive Director at the Carpenter Hospice, describes a peaceful and collaborative atmosphere where specialists, caregivers and volunteers collaborate to encourage patients and families to be partners in their care. “Our role is to give some sense of control and comfort back to the family, while managing symptoms and needs” she says.

The hospice offers patients comfort and support including bereavement groups to support families before and after a loved one passes. As well, the Carpenter Hospice is proud to offer other valuable programs such as music therapy.

Adrienne Pringle, Music Therapist helps patients and families access the emotions and words they may not otherwise find. “We value music therapy as a part of the support system at the Carpenter Hospice and we hope to expand the program if we can secure the funds to do so,” says Lesley. “Wendy really had a connection with Adrienne through music – her music gave Wendy a sense of peace,” Betty adds.

The Carpenter Hospice also hosts treatments such as massage, offered through a partnership with Trillium College. These programs made a significant difference for Wendy. Betty, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer, says. “The Carpenter Hospice gave us peace of mind,offering wonderful care for Wendy. When we left each night, we knew she was surrounded by wonderful, compassionate caregivers,” she adds.

The essence of palliative care is to embrace the entire family. “They went out of their way to make things as close to home as possible for Wendy and especially for her two children,” says Betty. The whole family enjoyed BBQ parties and other special events in the home-like, comfortable setting making the days as normal as they could be under the circumstances.

The day before she passed away, Wendy’s family celebrated in her room since she wasn’t well enough to partake of festivities in the formal dining room. “The staff and volunteers made it possible for our family to celebrate each special occasion as we would have done at home.” says Betty.

When her son Grant was turning 10, the staff and volunteers at the Carpenter Hospice helped Wendy’s family host a family party with cake and ice cream, balloons and snow cones (made from a staff member’s personal snow cone machine brought in from home). “Being able to interact with her children in day to day family activities at the hospice was very reassuring to Wendy. Since the hospice setting is essentially a home,the children were comfortable and able to carry on with activities with Wendy as they would have done at home.

The Carpenter Hospice in Burlington is invited, along with hospices throughout Ontario to participate in The Healing Cycle Foundation’s annual bike ride in June 2012 to raise funds for their own individual hospice. As well, hospices are invited to apply for financial grants through the foundation.

For more information about palliative care, the annual bike ride and to learn how your hospice can benefit from a grant, please contact Heather Campbell, executive director, The Healing Cycle Foundation at 905-820-6081 or visit www.thehealingcycle.ca.

Live. Love. Ride.

 

www.fatcyclist.com   03.27.2012 | 10:49 am

How to Borrow a Bicycle      by: www.fatcyclist.com

As the owner of a bicycle, you are no doubt aware of how personal a bike becomes. You adjust the seat height. You adjust the seat position. You adjust the seat angle. You probably replace the seat itself.

You swap on your pedals. You change the stem to suit your body length. You adjust the angle of the handlebar, the position of the grips, the brakes, the shifters.

You figure out exactly what tires you like best for where you live, and at what pressure you like those tires.

So Sure, it starts out as just one of thousands of identical bikes. But as you ride it you make it yours.

But — and trust me on this, because I promise it is true — someday you will need to borrow a bike from someone. Maybe you’re traveling. Maybe your bike is in the shop. Maybe you’re interested in getting a similar bike and would like to take a nice, extended test ride to help you decide whether to pull the trigger.

These are only some of the possibilities.

Before Borrowing the Bike

When you take delivery of the bicycle, it’s important that both you and the person you are borrowing the bike from have a clearly-stated and agreed-upon understanding of your responsibilities regarding the bike.

First of all, assure your friend (for now, we’ll assume the person you’re borrowing the bike from is a friend, though — let’s face it — that probably won’t be the case after you return the bike) that you’ll take care of the bike as if it were your own. Although if you’re borrowing the bike because you broke your own by ghostriding it off a cliff, that may not be the most reassuring thing you could say.

You may want to provide additional reassurance that while the bike is in your care, you assume complete responsibility for it, and you will return the bike in as-good or better condition than when you borrowed the bike. This will give your “friend” confidence in your upstanding citizen-ness and responsibility and stuff. Which is really great and stuff.

What you should not tell your “friend” are the following caveats, because while they are all true, they are not reassuring:

• You are not responsible for stuff that would have broken anyway. Suppose, as you’re Just Riding Along, that the rear derailleur breaks. Just up and breaks on you. Should you be responsible for buying a new, very expensive part for this bike? Especially when it obviously had been close to breaking for some time now, and you just happened to be the person on the bike when it decided to go. Is it really fair that you should replace what was obviously a worn out derailleur? Is it? Well, is it? (As you can tell by my repeated asking of this question, the answer is clearly “no.”)
• You are not responsible for theft. Suppose the bike gets stolen while it’s in your care. Did you ask for it to get stolen? No. Did you take reasonable precautions against its theft? Of course. So is it your fault it got stolen? Heck no. It could have just as easily gotten stolen the last time your so-called “friend” took it out and then went into Taco Bell. Would it have been your fault it got stolen then, too?
• You are not responsible for reasonable wear and tear. Your “friend” knew you were going to actually go out and ride the bike, right? Like, he wasn’t under some misapprehension that you were buying it so you could take it home to spend the day cleaning and buffing it to a high shine, right? So of course the chain’s going to come back a little dirty. Of course the tires are going to be a little more worn. Of course there’ll be a few new chips in the paint job and maybe some scratch marks from where the rack clamps held on to it. Sheesh, it’s a bike, not a freaking Monet.

Again, take these as understood, and do not bring them up until / unless it is absolutely necessary (i.e., when you return the bike).

Next, it’s very important you inspect the bike, just to make sure your “friend” hasn’t pulled a fast one on you. Take photos of obvious dings and dents, and make note of any problems that you think your friend might hold you accountable for as new damage when you return the bike.

Remember, those bike-lending “friends” can be sneaky, and may well just be out to make a quick buck off you. Don’t trust them for a second.

Preparing the Bike

Once you have acquired the bike you will be borrowing, take the time to adjust it properly. You can safely assume that the person you have borrowed the bike from has adequately documented every change he’s made to the bike, so feel free to tweak it to suit your own preferences.

First, adjust the seat post. Set it to the height you need. Don’t worry about marking the original seat height; you can be sure that the bike owner took care of that or has recorded the proper height or something.

Next, set the saddle up for your preferences. Adjust the saddle angle and position to your liking . Or, better still, remove the owner’s saddle entirely and put your own saddle on. While this negates the months and quite possibly years the bike owner might have put into finding exactly the correct position for himself, you can be sure he’ll have no trouble finding it again.

You should probably also adjust the angle of the handlebars. And move the grips or hoods so they fit your hands more comfortably. Might not be a bad idea to change the angle of the brake levers and shifters so they feel just right.

Hey, you don’t want to compromise your riding experience.

The Ride

Ideally, the friend who loaned you the bike will come along for the ride. He probably — up until this point — thought it was a really great bike, so this will be an excellent opportunity for him to learn about all the problems it has.

I recommend starting the ride by riding the bike into a wall, or the sharp edge of a curb. Just to ensure that the wheels have good structural integrity.

Then, once you begin the ride itself, listen very closely for sounds. The brakes might make noise. The chain might make noise. The suspension might make noise. Honestly, since there’s no such thing as zero-friction surface, something is bound to make noise on the bike. Be sure to point it out, and comment that your own bike doesn’t make this noise. It’s probably a good idea to ask — make a serious face as you ask this — if your friend has looked into it.

Next, consider the brakes. Note that they are either “kinda grabby” or “a little soft.” It’s best to make these observations in the form of a question, however: “Do you think your brakes are a little grabby?” Or “Do your brakes feel kind of soft?”

Observe that the cranks are a little “flexy,” because this cannot be proven nor disproven.

If you’re buying a mountain bike, pay special attention to the suspension. Especially rear suspension. There wouldn’t be a million kinds of suspension out there if one in particular were objectively and provably the best kind. So, do your homework, then talk about how it kind of bobs a bit. Or that maybe it sticks. Or that the frame seems kind of loose.

Believe me, you’ll find something.

At the end of the ride, though, be sure to say something nice to the person you borrowed the bike from, so they’ll know how much you appreciate the loan. For example, “Thanks for loaning me the bike” is a nice thing to say.

If your friend has the gall to follow up with your generous statement of thanks with a question like, “Well, what do you think of the bike,” have a reply ready: “It’s a pretty nice bike” should be just about perfect.

Dont’ say it convincingly, though.

And if, for some reason, the friend who loaned you the bike isn’t with you when you ride, be sure to store all this valuable information up, so you can share it with him afterward.

He will be very grateful.

After the Ride

Before you return the bike, you should be sure to do the following:

1. Clean the bike: Take it to a car wash and hose it down with the high pressure rinse. If you’re feeling generous, maybe do a hot wax cycle.
2. If you got a flat and used the CO2 and tube in the loaned bike’s seat pack, be sure to let your friend know he needs to replace them. If you remember to, I mean. If not, don’t worry about it.
3. If you got a second flat, so now one of the tires is flat, be sure to let your friend know that his tire is flat. As a courtesy.
4. If you break a significant part (like the suspension or the frame) while playing “home mechanic” with the bike, be sure to return the bike when your friend is not home, hopefully under cover of darkness.

Oh, and one final tip: if you like the bike you borrowed, try to borrow it again as soon as possible. There’s a reasonable chance your friend won’t have gotten around to messing up the improvements you made to the bike

Why Bike Hour?.  http://cycle-space.com/?p=8987

 Why Bike Hour?

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Steven

 

We have ride to work days, ride to school days, critical mass rides, world naked bike rides, so why now do we need Bike Hour? It is because the rides I have mentioned have failed to mobilise the vast majority of people, who own bikes, and wish it was safer to use them.

There are 1.6 working bikes per Australian household—and I guess similar numbers in other industrialised nations. That’s 12 million Australians with bikes. Those bicycles’ combined value: roughly $5.5billion. Yet Australia has virtually no designated bike paths, of the kind taken for granted, and heavily patronised, in counties like Denmark and the Netherlands. It’s as though we have stockpiles of trains, but no tracks.

People aren’t so angry about this that they would join organised rides, dominated by people with extreme and very particular views. They bought their bikes to ride them, not be part of mass demonstrations. An agreed hour, that we can each observe however we like, seems the best way to have our presence made known, while remaining true to the very individual nature of cycling.

Through consultation with the bike advocacy community I’m a part of through Twitter, I arrived at the 2 annual equinox days, between work and dinner time, as the best times for regular Bike Hour events. That means Bike Hour is from 6-7pm, your time, and its location is directly under your wheels as you ride. You don’t have to be a part of a group. In fact, you might enjoy it more if you’re not. Local champions of Bike Hour are encouraged to use their mustering powers to arrange events for the end of the ride. In my city, a few of us will end Bike Hour at Newcastle Harbour.

Bike Hour was not conceived to make anyone money, or even provide anyone with a job. Neither was it conceived for the media. Instead we’ll use social media to share little clips of our Bike Hour observance, that we can simply shoot with our phones. Post yours here, and you could win a prize.

Media inquiries can be directed to me, Steven Fleming, +61 (0)422486271 (just not when Eastern Australians are sleeping).  Here are hi-res versions of the posters. Here are America versions. Here is a Facebook event page: and here is a facebook community page.

MARTYRDOM HAS BEEN SHOWN NOT TO WORK, SO RIDE SAFELY, AS AWAYS

Riding for All the Right Reasons

Cecile de Breton, The Simple Alternative (seated, front row, second from left) and the Simple Alternative team at the 2011 Healing Cycle Foundation Annual Ride for palliative care in Ontario.

by Helen Reilly, Public Relations Coordinator, The Healing Cycle Foundation

She was 12 years old when she attended her uncle’s funeral. Despite her sadness, she was inspired by the experience. She knew she wanted to support families going through one of the most difficult times of their lives. Driven by her passion, she worked part time in a funeral home at the age of fifteen. Today, Cecile de Bretan is the managing funeral director at The Simple Alternative Funeral Centre in Mississauga.

Cecile knows too well the positive impact palliative care can have on patients and families. While her father died in the comfort of his own home, her mother’s journey was very different as her deteriorating medical condition meant moving through several institutions until she passed away. Cecile knew how difficult it was to feel helpless as she watched her mother struggle through her end of life journey. She hoped to support any effort to provide dignity and comfort to people in the final days.

Cecile was overwhelmed by her reaction when she visited her first hospice. “I recall coming out of Ian Andersen House shortly after my father died and crying because no one told our family that hospice was an option. The Ian Anderson House offered people in their final days the medical, spiritual and emotional care and support in an environment that feels like being at home.” She knew there was a need and she knew she wanted to help.

Cecile volunteers her time as the food coordinator for The Healing Cycle Foundation’s annual bike ride to raise funds and awareness for palliative care in Ontario. The Simple Alternative has been a Silver Sponsor of the event since 2008. Two years ago, the organization entered a team of eight riders who raised $6000.00 and even brought a support van to accompany riders, offering water and moral support. Last year, the team grew to 18 riders and raised over $16,000.

Today, one in three Canadians will gain access to palliative care when they need it. Who will be there for you? Support The Healing Cycle Foundation today – volunteer your time, register to ride on June 24th or support a rider. Visit http://www.thehealingcycle.ca or contact Heather Campbell, president and CEO at 905-820-6081.