Dignity in Care Research

10/01/2021

Have you attended a virtual or livestream funeral during the Pandemic?

Researchers at the University of Manitoba are looking for individuals who have attended a virtual or livestream funeral of a significant person or family member since the start of the Pandemic in March 2020. We are interested in knowing about your experience with loss and grief and how this virtual alternative impacts the grieving process. During the pandemic, families have been prohibited from in-person community rituals of mourning and many graveside services have been limited to 5-10 people, while additional family and/or friends may have needed to attend virtually. If this has been your experience, please consider participating in our study.

You may be eligible to participate if you are 18 years of age or older and have attended a virtual or livestream funeral of a significant person or family member since the start of the pandemic are eligible to participate.

Interested participants will be invited to complete an online survey with questions related to the experience of attending a virtual funeral. . If you are interested, please click on the link below to consent. We anticipate that this survey will take 10-20 minutes of your time.

https://rcsurvey.radyfhs.umanitoba.ca/surveys/?s=F849LYW3RX

IInterested participants can also contact the Dignity in Care Research Team by emailing us at dignityincare@umanitoba.ca, or by sending us a message.

This study aims to evaluate how the pandemic influences the trajectory of bereavement, including the emergence of complicated bereavement, over time. Close family members who have experienced the death of a significant person since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic are encouraged to particip...

09/22/2021

Thank you to the Canadian Palliative Nursing Association for featuring our research on frontline healthcare providers on their website! https://www.cpcna.ca/active-research-studies

If you are a frontline healthcare provider that has cared for dying patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be eligible to participate in our study. Our research will explore the experiences, as well as some of the long-term effects that frontline healthcare providers may have due to the pandemic. Interested participants will be asked to complete a brief survey over a period of 3 time-points, and if willing, take part in a brief phone call interview. We anticipate that this survey will take 15 minutes of your time. Information to help you decide whether to voluntarily consent will be available at the beginning of the survey.

If interested in participating, click on this link:

https://rcsurvey.radyfhs.umanitoba.ca/surveys/?s=EMFLWLRKJA

​If there are questions about this research protocol, email the research team at dignityincare@umanitoba.ca

Here, we profile active research studies in palliative care nursing that are relevant to the national landscape of palliative care nursing in Canada.

08/27/2021

Have you experienced the loss of a significant person or family member (due to any cause) since the onset of the pandemic?

Researchers at the University of Manitoba are looking for individuals who have experienced the death of a significant person or family member since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. Throughout the pandemic many families have been unable to visit their dying loved ones, were limited to the size of funerals, and many were unable to engage in community rituals of mourning. We are interested in knowing about your experience with loss and grief. The pandemic can affect the way you experience loss and the way that you cope with it.

You may be eligible to participate if who have experienced the death of a significant person or family member due to any cause since the onset of the pandemic and are 18 years of age or older.
Interested participants will be invited to complete an online survey, eliciting feedback on multiple facets of their experience.

If you are interested, please click on the link below to consent. We anticipate that this survey will take 10-20 minutes of your time. In order to understand the long-term effects on bereavement, we will also ask you to complete a follow-up survey at 6 months and 12 months post-enrolment.

https://rcsurvey.radyfhs.umanitoba.ca/surveys/?s=7J3HY7CP3F

Interested participants can also contact the Dignity in Care Research Team by emailing us at dignityincare@umanitoba.ca, or by sending us a message.

This study aims to evaluate how the pandemic influences the trajectory of bereavement, including the emergence of complicated bereavement, over time. Close family members who have experienced the death of a significant person since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic are encouraged to particip...

08/27/2021

Thank you CTV News Winnipeg for showcasing our research on the long-term effects of the pandemic on bereavement. Throughout the pandemic, many families have had to postpone funerals for their loved ones, were limited to in-person funerals of 5-10 people, and many were unable to participate in community rituals of mourning.

Now that restrictions on capacity have begun to ease, families are slowly beginning to host services that were originally put on hold due to the pandemic. But stress and grief do not have well defined timelines. As quoted by Dr. Chochinov in the article, “Because grief lingers and our need to honour the deceased lingers, even if you haven’t been able to hold a funeral in proximity to the time of their dying, finding some way of honouring your loved one is important and is a healing part of your grief”.

If you have attended a virtual funeral or have lost a loved one during the pandemic and are interested in sharing your experience, please send us a message or email us at dignityincare@umanitoba.ca.

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/families-cautiously-scheduling-funerals-delayed-by-covid-19-1.5551185

Families who put funerals on hold under COVID-19 restrictions are beginning to hold services for their loved ones.

07/26/2021

Have you experienced the loss of a significant person or family member (due to any cause) since the onset of the pandemic?

Researchers at the University of Manitoba are looking for individuals who have experienced the death of a significant person or family member since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. Throughout the pandemic many families have been unable to visit their dying loved ones, were limited to the size of funerals, and many were unable to engage in community rituals of mourning. We are interested in knowing about your experience with loss and grief. The pandemic can affect the way you experience loss and the way that you cope with it.

You may be eligible to participate if who have experienced the death of a significant person or family member due to any cause since the onset of the pandemic and are 18 years of age or older.

Interested participants will be invited to complete an online survey, eliciting feedback on multiple facets of their experience. If you are interested, please click on the link below to consent. We anticipate that this survey will take 10-20 minutes of your time. In order to understand the long-term effects on bereavement, we will also ask you to complete a follow-up survey at 6 months and 12 months post-enrolment.

https://rcsurvey.radyfhs.umanitoba.ca/surveys/?s=7J3HY7CP3F

Interested participants can also contact the Dignity in Care Research Team by emailing us at dignityincare@umanitoba.ca, visiting our website at https://www.dignityincareresearch.com/ or by messaging us on Facebook.

07/26/2021

Welcome to the University of Manitoba's Dignity in Care in the time of the COVID-19 Pandemic research page,  led by Principle Investigator Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov. This program of research was created based on the COVID-19 global pandemic not only changing the way we live, but also chang...

07/19/2021

Thank you Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba for showcasing our research on families and frontline healthcare providers. Throughout the pandemic, many families have struggled to cope with their loss and grief, as a result of their inability to visit dying loved ones and participate in community rituals of mourning. Many frontline healthcare providers have been forced to provide impoverished care; having to dawn PPE, enforce visitor restrictions, predisposing them to feelings of guilt, helplessness, moral distress and vulnerability to burnout.

As quoted by Dr. Chochinov in the article, "For families and health-care providers who have experienced death during the time of pandemic: Your stories are important...We want to hear your stories, because your stories need to be heard. If we can learn from your experience, we are in a better position to deal with your distress in the future."

University of Manitoba researchers want to understand the personal toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on front-line health workers who have cared for dying patients. They also want to discover what

06/17/2021

Have you attended a virtual or livestream funeral during the Pandemic?

Researchers at the University of Manitoba are looking for individuals who have attended a virtual or livestream funeral of a significant person or family member since the start of the Pandemic in March 2020. We are interested in knowing about your experience with loss and grief and how this virtual alternative impacts the grieving process. During the pandemic, families have been prohibited from in-person community rituals of mourning and many graveside services have been limited to 5-10 people, while additional family and/or friends may have needed to attend virtually. If this has been your experience, please consider participating in our study.

You may be eligible to participate if you are 18 years of age or older and have attended a virtual or livestream funeral of a significant person or family member since the start of the pandemic are eligible to participate

Interested participants will be invited to complete an online survey with questions related to the experience of attending a virtual funeral. . If you are interested, please click on the link below to consent. We anticipate that this survey will take 10-20 minutes of your time.

https://rcsurvey.radyfhs.umanitoba.ca/surveys/?s=F849LYW3RX

Interested participants can also contact the Dignity in Care Research Team by emailing us at dignityincare@umanitoba.ca, visiting our website at https://www.dignityincareresearch.com/ or by messaging us on Facebook.

05/28/2021

05/27/2021

Are you a frontline healthcare provider who has cared for dying patients during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Researchers at the University of Manitoba are conducting a national research study on the experiences of frontline healthcare providers who have cared for dying patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, this study will explore those experiences, as well as some of the long-term effects that the pandemic may have on the mental health of frontline healthcare providers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented challenges for many, but in particular frontline healthcare providers are encountering multiple concurrent deaths and an overloaded healthcare system. They are forced to provide impoverished care; having to dawn PPE, enforce visitor restrictions, predisposing them to feelings of guilt, helplessness, moral distress and vulnerability to burnout. As a result, our national program of research aims to explore these lived experiences of frontline healthcare providers caring for dying patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligibility: Frontline healthcare providers including palliative care physicians, generalists, psychiatrists, intensivists; nurses, physician assistants, healthcare aides; psychologists, social workers and spiritual care professionals who have looked after dying patients during the COVID-19 pandemic

Interested participants will be asked to complete a brief survey over a period of 3 time-points, and if willing, take part in a brief phone call interview. If you are interested, please click on the link to consent. We anticipate that this survey will take 10-20 minutes of your time. Information to help you decide whether to voluntarily consent will be available at the beginning of the survey.

https://rcsurvey.radyfhs.umanitoba.ca/surveys/?s=EMFLWLRKJA

Interested participants can also contact the Dignity in Care Research Team by emailing us at dignityincare@umanitoba.ca, visiting our website at https://www.dignityincareresearch.com/ or by messaging us on Facebook.

05/26/2021

Have you experienced the loss of a significant person or family member (due to any cause) during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Researchers at the University of Manitoba are looking for individuals who have experienced the death of a significant person or family member since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are interested in knowing about your experience with loss and grief. The pandemic can affect the way you experience loss and the way that you cope with it. We aim to explore the long-term effects of how the pandemic, specifically the inability to visit dying loved ones, nor engage in community rituals of mourning, affects the bereavement experience.

You may be eligible to participate if who have experienced the death of a significant person or family member due to any cause since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and are 18 years of age or older.

Interested participants will be invited to complete an online survey, eliciting feedback on multiple facets of their experience. If you are interested, please click on the link below to consent. We anticipate that this survey will take 10-20 minutes of your time. In order to understand the long-term effects on bereavement, we will also ask you to complete a follow-up survey at 6 months and 12 months post-enrolment.

https://rcsurvey.radyfhs.umanitoba.ca/surveys/?s=7J3HY7CP3F

Interested participants can also contact the Dignity in Care Research Team by emailing us at dignityincare@umanitoba.ca, visiting our website at https://www.dignityincareresearch.com/ or by messaging us on Facebook.

05/22/2021

Our very own co-investigator Dr. Kendiss Olafson, an ICU physician in Winnipeg, was interviewed by CTV News where she speaks on grief and loss during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Providing care to dying patients within healthcare institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic has changed significantly. Many healthcare providers around the world are encountering multiple concurrent deaths and an overloaded healthcare system. They are forced to provide impoverished care; having to dawn PPE, enforce visitor restrictions, predisposing them to feelings of guilt, helplessness, moral distress and vulnerability to burnout. As a result, our national program of research aims to explore these lived experiences of frontline healthcare providers caring for dying patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please message us or visit our website at https://www.dignityincareresearch.com for more information.

Maralee speaks with Dr. Kendiss Olafson, who is involved in a study looking at how COVID-19's impact on grieving has affected Manitobans.

05/21/2021

Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov and the Dignity in Care Research Team are leading a program of research on Dignity in Care in the time of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This program of research on death, dying and dignity in the time of COVID-19 is organized across three pillars: Patients, Families and Healthcare Providers. Each pillar includes a study that delineates the particular issues imposed by the pandemic, and address a possible response, mitigating emotional/psychosocial distress.

We are currently recruiting participants for our family and healthcare provider related studies. Please see the posters to see if you qualify or message us if you have any questions.

05/21/2021

05/21/2021

Welcome to the Dignity in Care Research Page. Our research team is led by Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov – a Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba, Senior Scientist at the Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, and Co-Founder of the Canadian Virtual Hospice.