Available courses

• Test Drive an LDM Online Course

  • Instructor: Ann-Marie Gilbert

  Are you curious about online learning? Wondering whether it would suit you? Concerned that the online format might be too foreign?

  Then this is a good experiment for you.

  You can enter this course by logging in with the username: testdrive and Password: Guest!2

  There are no due dates in this course. Just the experience of learning online, posting online, and responding online. We hope you'll find this a rewarding adventure!

  Click the course title to testdrive LDM Online

• LDM Online133 Walking and Talking with Kids About Death and Dying: START DATE - May 10

  • Instructor: Kath Murray
  • Instructor: Wendy Kurchak

  LDM Online133 Walking and Talking with Kids About Death and Dying

  Start date: May 10

  Misconceptions about kids’ experience with loss, grief and death/dying and fear of doing or saying the “wrong thing” may prevent us from engaging with kids about these topics. Learners critique common myths, examine current theory, and look at how to best individualize care to meet unique needs. Learners will also explore the benefits and challenges of addressing loss, grief and death in the schools. The focus of this particular course will be on children who are losing or have lost a loved one to death, vs, children who are facing their own death.

  Course Objectives

  At the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Recognize and identify personal fears or hesitancy in talking with kids about death and dying.

  • Explain common misconceptions about kids and loss, grief, death and dying.

  • Explain and discuss common concerns brought forth by children who are losing a loved one to death.

  • Discuss current theory and guidelines on ways to best support kids who are facing loss, grief, and death.

  • Identify resources for use in the schools to support teachers who are supporting children who are grieving.

  Fees: $199

  

• LDMonline 130 Trauma, Loss and Grief: Using Simple Right Brain Approaches to Support Healing

  • Instructor: Catherine Traer-Martinez

  LDMonline130: Trauma, Loss and Grief: Using Simple Right Brain Approaches to Support Healing

  Start Date: April 25

  4 week course

  Course Overview

  Course Number: LDMonline130

  4 week course

  New developments and understanding of the neurobiology of trauma are changing the way we support healing.  Learn about 'emotional circuitry' and the concept of emotional self-regulation to understand reactions to trauma and loss. Explore simple and effective, 'right brain' somatic approaches to resolve distress and grief in gentle, effective ways.

  Objectives

  At the end of this course learners will be able to:

  • Describe the basic anatomy and functions of the brain in managing trauma, loss and grief, as well as managing the impact of chronic stress.
  • Summarize the functions of the Autonomic Nervous System in terms of the Distress Response and the Relaxation Response.
  • Understand, describe and experience the concept of Emotional Self-Regulation and the difference between left brain and right brain “knowing”.
  • Develop awareness, and track the “felt sense” in your body and notice how it changes from moment to moment in the process of moving from distress to settling or calming.
  • Recognize shock and grief somatically (through the “felt sense”) and understand how to track somatic changes to ease or resolve distress.
  • Identify the value of sensing: grounding, settling, orienting, touch, and presence to calm and settle distress.
  • Describe ways to integrate this knowledge in self care and in supporting others.

  Fees: $249

  

• LDMonline 117 Communication: "I don't know what to say"

  • Instructor: Jennifer Wortham

  LDMonline117: Communication - "I don't know what to say"
  

  April 10

  
  "I don't know what to say" is very common for most of our society, not only because of being a “death denying” society but also we are a society that is very uncomfortable with “silence”, we seem to always have to fill silences with noise. Join Jennifer to explore ways to communicate with the dying and their family.

  Course Objectives

  At the end of this course learners will be able to:

  1. Articulate their own needs, values, motivations and skills.
  2. Demonstrate how to be mindful and stay true to their own inner aspects.
  3. Demonstrate how to honour their own needs while communicating authentically with others in distress.
  4. Demonstrate how to “know what to say.”

  Fees: $199

  

• September 10: LDMonline 110 - Death and Dying in the 21st Century

  • Instructor: Wendy Kurchak

  LDMonline 110 Death and Dying in the 21st Century

  Start Date: Monday Sept 10, 2012

  Examine the ways that "death in the 21^stcentury" will be different from any other time in history and evaluate the implications of the differences for caregivers. Discuss how the Baby Boomers may address "end of life questions," the evolving use of the terms hospice and palliative care, and begin to reflect on personal experiences with death and dying.

  At the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  1. Describe the impact on health care of the changing nature of death in the western world (or their particular country).
  2. Discuss the effects of the Baby Boomers and the potential impact they may have on death, loss and grief.
  3. Critique a current hospice palliative care program to understand how they are preparing for the changing face of dying as well as responding to people dying with non-cancer diagnosis.
  4. Develop skills for initiating difficult conversations about end of life issues.
  5. Investigate current issues in caring for the body.
  6. Describe the changes that are occurring in rituals including funerals, memorials, and celebration of life.

  Fees: $199 Can

  

• September 25: LDMonline143 - Compassionate Communication in Palliative Care

  • Instructor: Elizabeth Causton

  LDMonline143 Compassionate Communication in Palliative Care

  Start Date: Monday October 8

  In this course, we will look at ways to facilitate therapeutic conversations with patients and family members through greater awareness and skill development in the areas of expressing empathy, showing respect for personal timing, building trust and validating personal experience. We will explore the following topics:

  • 'Why did I say that? (personal baggage)
  • Talking about Hope
  • That's a good question! (difficult conversations)
  • Dismantling roadblocks
  • Silence is golden Communicating without words
  • Responding to unfixable pain.

  Fees: $199

  

• October 8: LDMonline 134 - Loss, Grief and Dying with Dementia

  • Instructor: Deb Ribeyre

  LDMonline134: Loss, Grief and Dying with Dementia

  Start Date: Monday October 8, 2012

  Two of our society’s greatest fears are death (loss of life) and dementia (preceived loss of self). This course will offer an overview of the unique losses, grief and bereavement experienced by persons with dementia (PWD) and their caregivers. The focus will be on the ways persons with dementia die, their often unique death trajectory, end of life care, and palliation. We will address some of the barriers dying PWD and their family face, and more importantly, address how we can begin breaking down these barriers and focus on providing excellent end of life care to PWD.
  At the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Articulate the differences between "dying with dementia" vs "dying from dementia."
  • Distinguish and summarize for colleagues anticipatory, ambiguous and disenfranchised grief as related to dementia.
  • Recognize and explain to colleagues and family the implications of considering dementia as a palliative condition.
  • Describe and explain the relevance of discussions about advanced directives while the PWD is still able to make informed decisions.
  • Explain to colleagues, patients and family how the family/caregivers bereavement can be affected by the journey experienced by the PWD, and their understanding and meaning attached to death.

  Fees: $199

  

• LDMonline 138 Creative Communication - New Ways to Find Words for Expressing Loss and Grief (Formerly Art of Grieving)

  • Instructor: Jennifer Wortham

  LDMonline138 Creative Communication - New Ways to Find Words for Expressing Loss and Grief

  Start Date: October 10

  4 week course
  
  

  Many people find it difficult or even impossible to express grief or to talk about the effects of losses on their lives. In my practice I have realized that to reach a point where talking about feelings becomes therapeutic sometimes requires a different point of access.

  This course is designed to teach new skills for assisting patients, family and caregivers to communicate thoughts and feelings about loss and grief by easing their struggle to find words.

  After engaging in each creative non-verbal activity, learners will then come together in forums to discuss what they have learned about a loss they have experienced. This teaching the teacher (training the trainer) will enable them to build a toolbox of strategies for assisting patients and family to communicate about loss and grief.

  Fees: $249 Can

   

  Learning Outcomes

  At the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Describe creatively and with words, the influences of a loss on their life.
  • Explain strategies for assisting individuals experiencing loss and grief.
  • Create a toolkit of resources to assist patients and family to communicate when experiencing loss and grief.

  (Course formerly titled Art of Grieving)

  

• LDMonline111 Psychosocial Needs of the Dying

  LDMonline 111 Psychosocial Needs of the Dying

  Start Date: May 10

  Learn about the psychosocial needs of the dying and their families, and identify the values and principles that support good psychosocial care. We will define spiritual care and begin to explore the nature of suffering.

  Objectives:

  At the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Identify the psychosocial issues/needs of dying patients and their families.
  • List and discuss elements of effective psychosocial care.
  • Identify interventions that support dying patients and their families.
  • Identify needs and preferences in anticipating LEARNERS own death

  Note: Please purchase a copy of "Transitions in Dying and Bereavement: A Psychosocial Handbook for Hospice and Palliative Care" available at Amazon books.

  

• LDMonline 112 Symptom Management: "It's not being dead but the dying I fear"

  • Instructor: Kath Murray

  LDMonline112: Symptom Management - "It's not being dead but the dying I fear"
  

  Start Date: November 10

  Enhance your capacity to integrate hospice palliative care in this introductory course in symptom management. Increase your understanding of the “essentials” of symptom assessment, management and comfort measures. Explore comfort measures that can be implemented by different team members, and develop your own basket of "comfort measures".

  Objectives:

  At the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Identify common symptoms and standardized assessment tools.
  • Locate the CHPCA Square of Care and Process of Providing Care and identify three components that resonate with the learners practice.
  • Discuss the Palliative Performance Rating Scale.
  • List ten common principles of symptom management through the use of medications.
  • Identify the common myths and fears of using opioids, and three things the learner can do in their practice when patients/families express concern about the use of opioids.
  • Identify with the sensation of dyspnea and identify comfort measures to suggest to the individual who is struggling to breathe.
  • Show the components of a "Comfort Basket" that the learner can use to provide comfort care.
  • Identify ways to integrate this information into one’s own practice.

  Fees: $199

  

• LDMonline 113 Predeath 101: Last Days and Hours

  • Instructor: Kath Murray
  • Instructor: Linda Cliff

  LDMonline113
  

  Start Date: January 10

  In the same manner that prenatal classes help prepare women for birthing, information on the last days and hours can help patients and caregivers anticipate and participate in the last days and hours. We will identify common physical changes, examine psychosocial implications, and develop strategies to support patient and family comfort throughout this process.

  Course Objectives

  At the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  Discuss and explain with colleagues or "family members" (in role play situations):

  • physical changes that may occur before death,
  • comfort measures that may help to facilitate a comfortable death,
  • psychosocial implications (for family members) of physical changes experienced by the dying person,
  • resources available 24/7 that may support individuals who are dying and their caregivers (including death in the home, long term care/residential care setting, or acute care etc),
    
    • based on local resources in the learner's community.
    • if local resources are limited, base the knowledge on Canada's Virtual Hospice resources
  • special awareness and symbolic communication that may occur prior to death.

  Fees: $399

  

• LDMonline 114/115 Theories of Grief and Loss: Beyond Kubler-Ross

  • Instructor: Jennifer Wortham

  LDMonline114/115: Theories of Grief and Loss - Beyond Kubler-Ross
  

  Start Date: February 10

  8 week course
  

  Examine evolving definitions and theories of grief and bereavement, going beyond the classic theory of “stages” presented by Kubler Ross. Through analysis of personal and/or professional experience and existing theory, test several classic theories and develop a personal concept of loss and grief. Opportunities to dialogue will bring the material to life and will illustrate a range of lived experience of grief and bereavement.
  
  

  Course Objectives

  At the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  1. Examine and analyze definitions and theories of grief and bereavement.
  2. Distinguish between different bereavement styles and develop a new bereavement theory based on current theories and personal/professional experiences.
  3. Explain and compare common elements that affect the experience of bereavement.
  4. Differentiate between different styles of grief.
  5. Apply bereavement theory to analyze the experience of loss and identify how to support others to grieve.
  6. Identify and evaluate a bereavement service provider in your community.

  Fees: $399

   

  General Information about Courses with LDM Online

  Courses open on the start date indicated for each course and is completed over a period of three weeks (except for courses run over longer time periods as specified).

  Resources

  Course resources may include readings, audiocasts, videos, online and realtime research. All these resources are supplied within the course unless specified otherwise.

  Assignments

  In total, learners complete 6 course assignments, including a teleconference and one course evaluation.

  The first assignment is usually a "check in" to get everyone familiar with the online system. It may include a resource to prepare for the next assignment.

  Assignments can take the form of written responses to questions, reflective writings, engagement in online discussions, teleconference participation, as well as group projects.

  Course Completion

  Grades are assigned based on the number of assignments completed. An "A" requires completion of 6 assignments.

  Certificates are emailed out to learners who have successfully completed a course. These are sent out after all learners have completed, the course is closed and the Instructor has assigned grades. This may take up to 4 weeks, depending on the course.

  More information about LDM Online policies, procedures and general format is available at LDM Online FAQ.

  

• LDMonline 113 Predeath 101: Last Days and Hours copy 1

  • Instructor: Kath Murray
  • Instructor: Linda Cliff

  LDMonline113
  

  Start Date: January 10

  In the same manner that prenatal classes help prepare women for birthing, information on the last days and hours can help patients and caregivers anticipate and participate in the last days and hours. We will identify common physical changes, examine psychosocial implications, and develop strategies to support patient and family comfort throughout this process.

  Course Objectives

  At the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  Discuss and explain with colleagues or "family members" (in role play situations):

  • physical changes that may occur before death,
  • comfort measures that may help to facilitate a comfortable death,
  • psychosocial implications (for family members) of physical changes experienced by the dying person,
  • resources available 24/7 that may support individuals who are dying and their caregivers (including death in the home, long term care/residential care setting, or acute care etc),
    
    • based on local resources in the learner's community.
    • if local resources are limited, base the knowledge on Canada's Virtual Hospice resources
  • special awareness and symbolic communication that may occur prior to death.

  Fees: $399

Course categories