White Coat, Black Art –the back story!

I so love this show, and not just because I'm going to be on it! Dr. Brian Goldman is a medical journalist, author and ER physician based in Toronto.

The two men looking at the Tay River

Dr. Goldman interviewed me and my husband, on July 11th, for his show on unpaid caregivers, which will air November 19th. He is a fabulous interviewer. He makes you feel right at home, actually he was *in* our home! While the tape was running my cat started playing with his audio cable. We both kept on trucking. It was a hoot.

He spoke to me about my Unpaid Caregiving, both for my late parents and the volunteer hospice work I do. I consider myself a patient advocate, and work hard to improve the conditions of my clients; helping them find services, pain relief, a good death, and creating a Life Review. My most recent video of my friend, Kay Devlin: Celebration of a Life Worth Living.


After interviewing the two of us, we went into town. 

Meals on Wheels

Next, Dr. Brian went in with my husband, Joe, as the team was putting together the Meals on Wheels lunch delivery in Lanark Lodge. Hilarity ensued. There is a large team of people in our community that put together the supports to enable seniors to stay in their homes for as long as they can. We took him on a meal delivery. We consider ourselves a small part of this team.

Joe prepares to dispatch
Meals on Wheels

Next we headed off and treated Dr. Brian to lunch at Fiddleheads, where I told a guy to turn off the rude video he was playing loudly on his Crackberry! 


Then, we took Dr. Brian into the long-term care residence, where I volunteer on a weekly basis. 



Now, I made nothing in royalties for my book sales from January to June of this year. NADA! It is very hard to market a book in Canada if you co-publish, or self-publish. A 'best seller' in Canada means selling 5000 copies! Not that I am complaining, as it won't make very much difference to complain! I have given away more books than I have sold. I want people to read it and hopefully learn something from it.

Mildred (1940 - 2011) and her puzzle cat

The reward came in the writing of my story, and the research I did for the book, while I was working on my M.A. in Counselling Psychology. You better understand your life if you use a journal, and put pen to paper. This is an essential tool for caregivers to fight Caregiver Stress.

The joy has come from the people I meet when flogging my book. Since then I have been speaking to groups. I spoke at the NSM Palliative Care Conference: Stories in Palliative Care, and volunteered with Hospice Muskoka, and now Community Home Support Lanark County, near our new home.

My inspiration comes in understanding what  A Good Death can look like, and making it possible. Many cannot deal with death and dying. You can read about my efforts at finding a comforter for a Sens fan: #ComforterQuest. It was a small thing to do, but meant a great deal to a dying man.

End-of-life and palliative care is a specialty many of professionals cannot face.  For those dedicated to improving health, it is often difficult to face death. The barriers to a good death can be immense. The impact on caregivers is huge, and can have lifelong effects. There are many out there who can help. Check out the hospice associations your area. Volunteers can make a difference.

White Coat Black Art Program

—Saturday, November 19th at 11:30 a.m. and again on Mondays at 11:30 a.m. on CBC Radio One.

Also, Chris Must came to the house to interview us, and to take a photo for his article.

Author's research aimed at caregivers - EMC Perth

Chris Must, Perth EMC

Medical broadcaster Dr. Brian Goldman interviews Perth resident and author Jennifer Jilks July 7 for a CBC radio show (WCBA: "White Coat, Black Art") on the plight of unpaid caregivers, to be aired in the fall.

Dr. Brian Goldman in Perth, Ontario

Dr. Goldman with me at our home
He interviewed me for an upcoming
White Coat Black Art Program

Having written a book about Ontario healthcare, Living and Dying in Dignity; A daughter's journey, Dr. Brian Goldman decided to interview me. As he said to Chris Must, after much nagging! Truthfully, I didn't nag, just offered to trade books with him! Also, posted comments on his White Coat Black Art (WCBA) blog, twitter feed @WCBADoctorBrian, and radio webpage.

I also write about Ontario healthcare;
some of my most recent posts:

• ☛Long-term care litigation
• ☛Advance Care Planning
• ☛Seniors: Tired of being blamed for health care costs?
• ☛Caregivers need information
• ☛PSW Scope of Practice: Mission Creep

Photo: courtesy Chris Must, EMC

I have written my book from the perspective as an adult child, and as a volunteer, as many of my blog friends know. Dedicated to improving the healthcare system, and finding those cracks that need to be filled, I regaled him with stories of caring for my family.

It's funny how I expected more equipment than he brought; a small tape recorder with ear phones and great microphone. But then technology has certainly improved since I began teaching and integrating technology into my pedagogical practices.

Lunch at Fiddleheads - view from the
C. Douglas Cavers Bridge of Code Park.

We had our interview in my dining room. I was mortified as the twins, just 3 months old, leapt up onto the table as we recorded. We both smiled, but kept on trucking as Buster rustled Dr. Brian's papers, then Felix tried to eat the microphone cord.
He is the consumate professional on radio and in the ER.

We took him in to lunch at Fiddleheads, a walk around the Tay River and Stewart Park! Fortunately, the rude men behind me turned off their vulgar video while we ate lunch and they downed beers #2 & 3. As puerile as my twins, they were.

It may all be water under the bridge!

Dr. Brian was impressed with Perth, the river, and the beauty of the town - and he has travelled all around the world, visiting cousins relatives in South America, as well as travelling  around Canada for his radio show.

He is officially an Emergency Room physician, but also a CBC Medical Journalist. Married, with two children, 9 and 13 years old, he works shifts at Mount Sinai hospital in the ER, as well as working as a medical journalist at CBC five days/week.

many visit the Tay via Stewart Park

Then we toured the Meals on Wheels preparation site at Lanark Lodge, chatted with volunteers, and accompanied us on a Meals drop-off. Then I took Dr. Brian into Perth Community Care Centre, to record me as I did my regular volunteer visiting with the residents. Coincidentally, Mary was one of the recreation aides working that day. It was her sister who was the dispatcher at Lanark Lodge for Meals on Wheels. It is a small town, with many involved.

View of the Tay River from the bridge

We showed him the protocol for dispatching and delivering Meals on Wheels, he ran an audiotape. Wonderful volunteers who do a great service to 'old people'. [Don't criticize the coffee, you'll be old and weak someday!]

Pets and puzzles - good friends!

Perth Community Care Centre

Meals on Wheels meal