Life and Death Matters

04/15/2026

🍪 Happening Tomorrow: Real Conversations About ACP

Join Tiara, Kath, Maria, and Michael as they share honest, real‑life conversations about Advance Care Planning, the kind that start with values, not paperwork. This pre‑recorded session shows how simple prompts (like Advance Care Planning Conversation Cookies) can spark deeper dialogue with family, clients, and colleagues.

On the day, Maria will be with you live, guiding the session and creating the opportunity for questions and discussion.

If you’ve ever wondered how to begin an ACP conversation, this session offers practical tools, gentle language, and room to reflect on your own wishes.

💛 Free to attend. Book your place now. Link in bio.

04/14/2026

Advance Care Planning isn’t about forms, it’s about the conversations that ask us to listen with humility and without assumptions. In our latest blog, Maria Panzera Rugg our Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse Educator shares a personal story about an unexpected moment of honesty that reshaped how she understands ACP.

It’s a reminder that ACP isn’t about getting it “right.” It’s about showing up with curiosity, respect, and a willingness to truly hear what matters to the people we love.

This month with ACP Day approaching, we invite you to read Maria's story, join our webinar titled 'The Cookie Jar Conversations; Getting Personal About Advance Care Planning Conversations', and start one simple conversation about care and choice.

💛 Read the blog. 👉 Join our webinar. Links in comments

04/13/2026

🍪 Small prompts. Big conversations.

Advance Care Planning (ACP) doesn’t have to start with a formal meeting or a heavy moment. Sometimes it begins with something as simple as a question in a cookie.

Our Advance Care Planning Conversation Cookies are designed to make ACP feel more approachable by offering a gentle way to talk about wishes, values, and who you’d trust to speak for you if you couldn’t. Whether you’re a caregiver, a PSW, a family member, or someone beginning your own planning, these small prompts can open the door to conversations that truly matter.

Explore the questions, share them with someone you care about, and see where the conversation leads.

💛 Learn more and order your cookies. Link in comments

04/09/2026

🍪 One Week to Go: Join Us for The Cookie Jar Conversations - Getting personal about Advance Care Planning Conversations

Advance Care Planning (ACP) begins with speaking and listening from the heart. It is a gift to ourselves and to the people who may one day need to speak for us.

In one week, Maria Panzera Rugg, our Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse Educator will host a showing of a conversation with members of the LDM team and then time for those who join to share their own expriences and maybe try out some "careplanning cookies"!

Those who attend will have their name put in a draw to win a package of cookies of their very own. Hope to see you there!

💛 Register for free. Link in comments

04/08/2026

🍪 Advance Care Planning (ACP) is a values‑based conversation. Watch our pre-recorded session as our team gets personal about ACP, using real dialogue (and Advance Care Planning Conversation Cookies!) to show how everyday moments can open meaningful conversations about care, choice, and who would speak for us if we couldn’t.

You’ll learn to:
• Understand ACP as a values‑based conversation, not just paperwork or decisions and recognize the importance of listening without assumption.
• Identify how everyday moments and gentle prompts can open up ACP conversations with family members, clients, and colleagues.
• Reflect on their wishes and decision-making values, and recognize the role of a trusted substitute decision maker.

💛 Register for free. Link in comments

04/07/2026

One conversation can change everything.

One question can open the door.

Sometimes, all it takes is one Advanced Care Planning Conversation Cookie.

Find out more and order your cookies today. Link in comments

04/06/2026

🌿 We're Looking for a PSW at the Heart of Hospice Palliative Care

Behind most meaningful experiences in care, there is often a PSW whose presence makes all the difference - the steady hand, the calm voice, the person who sees the whole human being in front of them.

The Life and Death Matters Frances Montgomery Personal Support Worker Hospice Palliative Care Award celebrates PSWs who bring a depth of care to individuals and families across Ontario.

These are the PSWs who:
💛 Show up with compassion, dignity, and respect — even on the hardest days
💛 Support families with patience, clarity, and kindness
💛 Integrate the principles and philosophy of palliative care in every setting
💛 Lead quietly through example, mentorship, and advocacy
💛 Help create environments where quality palliative care can flourish

If someone in your workplace or community embodies this spirit, they may be the next award recipient.

Nominate a PSW who brings heart to hospice palliative care: Link in comments

04/02/2026

This month we’re focusing on Advance Care Planning (ACP) in honour of ACP Day (April 16) in Canada.

We’ll explore simple ways to begin planning, tools to guide meaningful conversations, and how our team at Life and Death Matters is hoping to support you and those you care for to have these conversations. Our Advance Care Planning Conversation Cookies can make these discussions easier (and maybe a bit sweeter).

Advance Care Planning is about preparing for your future healthcare needs with clarity, compassion, and confidence. It’s not about predicting what will happen but making sure your wishes and values are understood by those who are closest to you.

To start the month, take a look at our short Advance Care Planning Conversation Cookies video where the most important questions can start with the help of a cookie with a message.

04/01/2026

🌿 Honouring Caregivers on National Caregiver Day

Today, we pause to recognise the caregivers who show up every single day with love, patience, and strength. Caregiving is one of the most meaningful acts of compassion and one of the most demanding. Across Canada, caregivers support family, friends, and neighbours through illness, disability, aging, and life’s most vulnerable moments.

At Life and Death Matters, we believe caregivers deserve real support: clear communication, emotional care, and practical help that makes daily life easier.

Today is a reminder to celebrate caregivers and also to advocate for the supports they need: flexible workplaces, accessible services, coordinated care, and communities that understand the realities of caregiving.

To every caregiver:
Thank you. We see you. We honour you. And we’re committed to building a world that supports you as fully as you support others.

04/01/2026

Wonderful use of info graphics to teach about palliative care!
Thanks Dr Herx

Proud to share this collaboration. We've used to present some of the most misunderstood areas in . Despite decades of clinical practice, education and integration with other healthcare teams, palliative care remains enshrouded by myth and misconception. Article publis...

03/31/2026

What Needs to Change for Young Carers

Young carers support older adults every day, but they shouldn’t have to do it alone. A palliative approach can make a real difference by offering clear communication, emotional support, and practical strategies that lighten the load for the whole family.

To truly support young carers, Canada needs:
- Formal recognition through legislation
- Better data to understand their needs
- Flexible support in schools
- Training for professionals to identify young carers early
- Peer programs that reduce isolation
- Family‑centred care that includes young carers in planning

Read this powerful example of how supportive care transforms daily life for young carers:
👉 Link in comments

Young carers deserve systems that see them and support them.

And for young carers wanting to connect with others who understand their experiences, the Young Caregiver Council of Canada offers a national, youth led community advocating for the recognition and support they deserve.

03/30/2026

Young carers are everywhere, yet so often no one sees them.

Most young people supporting an older adult don’t think of themselves as “carers” at all. They’re simply helping a parent, grandparent, or loved one who needs extra support.

Some young carers stay silent because they fear stigma, worry about being judged, or feel protective of their family. Others don’t speak up because they believe their situation is normal or not serious enough to mention. And too often, the adults around them such as teachers, healthcare providers, and neighbours don’t know to look.

When caregiving is invisible, so is the need for support. Young carers miss out on understanding, flexibility, and resources that could make a real difference to their wellbeing, education, and future.

Read our latest blog for more information about young carers - link in comments

And if you’re a young carer looking for connection or a place where your experiences are understood, the Young Caregiver Council of Canada offers a youth‑led community where your voice truly matters.