Death Café

Free

Date: Thursday, June 13, 2024
Time: 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Education Centre
Admission: Free, Registration required

Why is it “morbid” to talk about something that happens to every single one of us? Not talking about death won’t make it easier to manage.

Join Kathlene Bartlett and Sue Martin, Palliative Pain and Symptom Management Consultants, for an uplifting interactive adventure based on the works of the Death over Dinner creators.

A Death Café creates space for an open and relaxed conversation about death and dying and aims to shift the conversation around death from one of fear or avoidance to that of familiarity and comfort. Participants will sit around tables of 3-6 people for a confidential, group-directed discussion. Bring your experiences to share; bring your questions to ask. Share only what you are comfortable with—there is no pressure to tell the details of your personal story.

An article in Guelph Today about a past Death Café describes the mood of the event well:
Far from being morbid, bleak or despairing, the mood of the event was equal parts sorrowful, uplifting, and caring. The room, at times a din of laughter and passionate story-sharing, was divided into several smaller groups, mostly consisting of strangers. The intimate nature of the subject quickly created an atmosphere of empathy and trust, and the conversation flowed effortlessly.

We aim to create a space welcoming to all spiritual or religious beliefs or non-beliefs. This is a welcoming space to 2SLGBTQ folks.

Organized by North Simcoe Muskoka Hospice Palliative Care Network

 

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Description

Kathlene Bartlett
Sue Martin

Kathlene Bartlett has been a nurse for 12 years. She has worked the majority of her time in Acute Care on a Palliative/ Oncology unit and also has experience in Public Health and LTC. As an Indigenous RN Kathlene works with the FNIM communities within NSM to better support in their end of life journey and provides capacity building and mentorship to health care providers providing palliative and end of life care.

Sue Martin is a RN with palliative certification. She is a Palliative Pain and Symptom Management Consultant working with NSMHPCN for 11 years in the Barrie area. Sue is an RN for 43 years working primarily with spinal cord injuries and in the community as a visiting nurse. Her goal is to empower others to help build capacity around a palliative approach to care. Her philosophy in life is to be kind, be informed and remember that laughter heals the soul.