Culturally Responsive Care at Palliative and End-of-Life Educational Toolkit
Welcome and thank you for beginning this journey
This learning experience will transform your perspectives, deepen your understanding of what is important to you (and why), and strengthen your practice of being culturally responsive to residents, families, and your colleagues.
The content was informed through conversations with staff, families, and experts and the lessons we’ve learned in practicing culturally responsive care at Wing Kei Care Centres.
We acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the îethka Nakoda Nations (Chiniki, Bearspaw, Goodstoney), the Otipemisiwak Métis Government (Districts 5 and 6), and all people who their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.
Welcome
Our hope is to build understanding in the uniqueness of each culture and each individual
Kathy Tam, Chief Executive Officer, Wing Kei Care Centres
Culture is dynamic and all around us
Culture can be both an ambiguous and all-encompassing term. At its core it is about the values and beliefs that are important to us and how they impact our decisions. Culture evolves in response to the experiences we have and the choices we make. It is also a legacy, with values passed from generation to generation. Culture is sometimes mistaken as being wholly connected to a specific culture, faith, or community–but it is more dynamic than that.
How a person expresses and practices their culture is unique; there are differences, even within families.
Deepening Your Practice
There is strength and beauty in diversity. Cultural diversity offers a rich, textured understanding of the world–and of ourselves. It connects people and challenges us to see beyond what we know. How each person understands and expresses their culture is at the root of their values, beliefs, and decisions.
Strengthening comfort and confidence to engage in culturally-responsive palliative and end-of-life care conversations is vital to the resident experience, person-centred care, and a dignified, peaceful death. How an individual understands dying and death often comes from cultural beliefs and values–and it can vary widely, even within communities and families.
The impetus for creating this educational experience is a belief that we can create communities, within our continuing care homes, where every care experience is infused with deep understanding, respect, and empathy. Where we, as staff and volunteers, understand what motivates and inspires the decisions that residents and their families/caregivers make. And, recognizing that in better understanding residents, we also better understand ourselves and our colleagues.
Wing Kei Care Centres spent two years listening to the insights and experiences of staff, volunteers, families, caregivers, and experts. The result is an educational journey, designed to strengthen your practice by offering practical, accessible tools to deepen your understanding of offering culturally responsive palliative and end-of-life care.
Designed for You
This educational experience is your journey. It intentionally removes the barriers often found in traditional learning environments, which do not always fit the schedules and varied needs of continuing care interdisciplinary teams.
We invite you to go through the modules at your own pace and on whatever device is easiest (computer, tablet, or smartphone).
You will find short, bite-sized engaging and interactive experiences, which include practical skill development through self-reflection, peer collaboration, and team activities. Adapt the learning to your specific needs; fit it seamlessly into your daily routines.
Learning Experiences
Five modules designed for continuing care staff and volunteers: Meaningful Service; Cultural Humility; Authentic Presence; Sensitivity and Autonomy; and Restorative Practice. Each module includes core concepts, mnemonics, and interactive exercises to help you dive into its objectives, making the learning process engaging and meaningful. In addition, there are self-reflection exercises, peer practice, and team activities to deepen your understanding and practice of the core concepts introduced in the modules.
A Champion Facilitator module for informal and formal leaders to promote the learning and facilitate team discussions, bringing what is learned into practical application. Champions raise awareness across the organization and within teams, offering peer support, mentorship, and coaching. Champions also play a key role in advocating for new initiatives and turning knowledge into practical action. In creating champion-led communities of practice, learning can be sustained and natural spaces for debriefing will be fostered. A Family/Caregiver module which provides information to better prepare families/caregivers in engaging in culturally responsive conversations when their loved one is receiving palliative or end-of-life care.
With Gratitude
Funding
Wing Kei Care Centres received an Alberta Health grant to create this practical, accessible, interactive educational experience. The aim of this learning experience is to increase the confidence and comfort of continuing care teams to engage in and provide culturally responsive palliative and end-of-life care to residents. The toolkit contains five modules for staff and volunteers, a champion facilitators module, and an information module for families/caregivers.
The creation of the toolkit involved:
- Conducting a thorough literature and best practice review.
- Facilitating surveys, focus groups with staff, physicians, volunteers, and family/caregivers to learn about their experiences and gain their insights.
- Piloting the draft toolkit in six continuing care organizations (14 sites with multicultural and rural representation), incorporating feedback into this version.
- Designing the toolkit with input from experts in adult and online learning.
- Ensuring a robust analysis and evaluation of the toolkit by a professional evaluation consultancy.
- Seeking regular guidance and feedback from an expert advisory committee.
Acknowledgements
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our collaborative partners, some who were with us since the inception of this project. These include the passionate community of families, caregivers, staff, volunteers, leaders and experts who contributed to the development of this educational experience, by providing input, participating in surveys, focus groups and piloting the toolkit. Thank you for seeing the value of this work and partnering with us. We hope you see your insights and experiences reflected throughout the toolkit.
- Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary
- Bethany Care Society
- Covenant Care
- Calgary Chinese Elderly Citizens’ Association
- Generations Calgary
- The Good Samaritan Society
- Sherwood Care
- St. Michael’s Long Term Care Centre
- Wing Kei Care Centres
A special thanks to the following committees and their dedicated members who met regularly with us to share knowledge, and provide expertise and guidance to Wing Kei Care Centre’s Culturally Responsive Care at Palliative and End-of-Life project.
- Wing Kei Care Centres Board Appointed Project Management Committee
- Dr. Harry Zhou, Dr. Rene Ho and Dr. Rannie Tao
- Project Steering Committee, joint Bethany Care Society and Wing Kei Care Centres
- Expert Advisory Committee, for Bethany Care Society and Wing Kei Care Centres Palliative and End-of-Life Care projects
Additional thanks to the teams and individuals representing Palliative and End-of-Life Care at Alberta Health Services, for providing your insights and expertise to the project.
Thanks to the Project Research Team, especially our university partners for your research expertise and guidance on the project:
- Kathy Tam, Chief Executive Officer, Wing Kei Care Centres
- Jane Tse, Director of Research and Clinical Advancements/ Project Lead, Wing Kei Care Centres
- Lina Li, Research Coordinator/ Project Manager, Wing Kei Care Centres
- Nicole Yeung, Administrative Assistant, Wing Kei Care Centres
- Dr. Jasneet Parmar, Professor, Dept of Family Medicine, University of Alberta
- Dr. Sharon Anderson, Research Coordinator, Dept of Family Medicine and Adjunct professor, Dept of Human Ecology, University of Alberta
- Dr. Gwen McGhan, Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary
We especially thank Jane Tse and Lina Li for igniting a shared vision of culturally responsive care at palliative and end-of-life. Their unwavering dedication to bringing this vision to life will open the door for many others to embark on this meaningful journey together.
Thanks to Wing Kei Care Centres consultant partners for sharing their expertise in creating a beautiful, user-friendly, and relevant educational experience:
- Salima Bandali, dot to dot consulting
- Laurel Halkier, Halkier + Dutton Design
- Jamie Stewart, The Learning Design Studio
- Edward Tse, AI Parenting
- Maureen Young, Reaper Enterprises
