Looking for Something to Read?

If you are looking for a new book to read and have an interest in how the humanity of patients and families can be maintained while under hospital care, you may wish to check out Through the Valley of Shadows by Samuel Morris Brown.
Through the valley

Using insights from cognitive psychology, Dr. Samuel Brown discusses new approaches to reduce suffering for patients and their families when they need high levels of care, including concrete strategies to apply before, during, and after a serious illness.

Click here to continue reading.

Continuing Care & Community Living Expo 2016

On Thursday, April 21st, the Continuing Care & Community Living – Expo 2016 was held in Calgary. This event, sponsored by Alberta Health Services and Covenant Heath, focused on introducing individuals and their families to new initiatives, opportunities and technologies relating to independence and aging.

Below are some tweets that @aircalgary sent while attending Expo 2016.

If you were unable to attend the Continuing Care & Community Living – Expo 2016 in Calgary, you have a chance to do so on Friday, May 6th in Edmonton, Alberta. As was the case in Calgary, admission and parking are FREE. To learn more about the event, including the topics that will be addressed, click on the image below.

Expo2016

A glimpse into the life of an ICU nurse

What would it be like to be an ICU nurse? Below is the introduction to a blog post that provides some insight into this question.

We received a MET call (Medical Emergency Team) from the general ward to immediately come and assist. The patient’s name was Mr. ‘Stevens’. He was 81 and was in our hospital due to severe exacerbations of COPD. He was in acute respiration distress and had a low blood pressure. There was no time to discuss whether he should come to the intensive care unit or not. Mr Stevens had never discussed this before with his doctor, nor with his sons and in this moment of distress, it was now an option for him. The only thing that was clear was that he wanted to be relieved of his shortness of breath, his pain and his anxiety. There was no chance to talk about the consequences of the decision to enter intensive care. The urgency of the situation forced him to just accept it.

However, in his eyes you could see that he had much to say… there were words that he couldn’t get out, things he wasn’t able to say when he arrived. We all knew this when we saw him coming in to our unit. We could see the emotion, bubbling under the surface, all the feelings he wanted to express, but couldn’t any longer, simply restrained by his utter weakness in the final hours of his life.

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“The Difference Between Care & Caring”

The above video – “The Difference Between Care and Caring” recently won a number of local and national awards, including Best in Show at Edmonton’s ACE Awards.

What an incredible night for the Royal Alexandra Hospital,” Andrew Otway, president and CEO of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, said. “This was a video that really came together so beautifully and effectively because of the staff and leadership at the Royal Alex. We are so immensely proud of this hospital, the people who work here, and the difference they make each day.”

Click here to read more about the video and the family involved.