As people grow older and the end of life approaches, there are many decisions to be made: when is it time for a person to stop driving? What about moving from one’s home to an assisted-living facility? How much treatment does one want to receive? What about responsibility for finances? If a person is terminally ill, do they want to talk about dying? And the list of painful questions goes on.
During this program, we will spend time in grounding, contemplative practices so that we are able to explore, in a safe and warm environment, a range of these questions. We hope that participants will leave feeling more confident that these difficult questions can be broached with grace and love, honouring the dignity of the person nearing the end of her or his life, as well as of those who love and care for them. The workshop will assist participants in living with the uncertainty of outcomes in these types of difficult discussions. The program will begin with supper on Friday and end with lunch on Sunday.
Program Cost: $355 (tuition, meals & accommodation)
Local Price: $275 (without overnight)
We strive to make our programs as accessible as possible.
Please contact our Registrar to inquire about a bursary or payment plan.
Please register at least 2 weeks in advance to secure your place in this program.
Leadership
Rev. Linda Yates
Rev. Linda Yates is a United Church minister. She is also a cancer survivor and end-of-life spiritual caregiver. Her doctoral work is on grief, loss and death awareness. Linda believes that facing death helps us appreciate life in all its fullness. Her training in conflict resolution has taught her that difficult conversations are the only kind possible in complex situations, but they are not nearly as difficult as you think they will be. www.stjohnsunited.com/lindaspage.html
Pat De Meo
Pat De Méo, Program Resource Group (PRG) facilitator, is on the Leadership Team of the Atlantic Jubilee Program in Spiritual Deepening and Spiritual Guidance. She was a professor and administrator at Dalhousie University for over 30 years, where she taught French, teaching methods, group communication and dynamics, and developed a certificate program in intercultural communication.