'Last Aid' Course - Creating Awareness on Topics related to Dying & Death

Many people want to die at home, yet in western countries most die in institutions like hospitals and nursing homes. The Last Aid project helps to educate the community about the basics of palliative care and care for dying people. These courses are delivered using materials developed by Last Aid International.

More than 8,500 people have already participated in Last Aid courses and more than 1,000 trainers have been trained across many European countries including Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia, Lithuania, Austria and Scotland. Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO) is sponsoring the delivery of this program in Ontario, and hopes to eventually grow its reach throughout North America. This event will be a pilot presentation of this new training program, and other events will be hosted throughout the province at a later time.

Last Aid is a simple course which aims to create awareness and discussion on topics related to Death and Dying. The instructors will aim to give practical tips on how you can provide comfort to someone who is dying, and what you can do to plan for your own and your family's future.

The topics discussed are delivered in 4 sections:

1. Dying as a normal part of life

2. Planning Ahead

3. Relieving Suffering

4. Final Goodbyes

Our hope is that attending this course will really help you feel more comfortable talking and thinking about and planning for dying and death.

Facilitators: Linda Hochstetler is a psychotherapist who specializes in illness, dying, and death. She has also just published her first book - 21 Days to Die: The Canadian Guide to End-of-Life. Julie McIntyre is a retired family doctor who currently specializes in assisting people in completing Advanced Care Planning and talking about wishes at end-of-life.