Learn more about The Art of Presence at PACE session

Levi Meir Clancy-Hospital Beds. Upsplash (Free use public domain.)

By Cecilia Nasmith

Northumberland County

The first PACE session of 2025 happens Jan. 23, with a discussion on The Art of Presence – how we can be present and grounded for those undergoing challenging life situations

Tune in at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 23 for the first PACE session of the new year – this time featuring retired Registered Nurse and active hospice volunteer Sally Manchester discussing The Art of Presence.

A graduate of Boston's New England Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing, Manchester enjoyed a diverse career as RN, working in a variety of clinical settings including Medical/Surgical, Cardiac ICU, Emergency Departments and medial offices.

As a volunteer, she provides respite support for family members and caregivers of hospice patients. It is through this experience that she has honed her ability to be present and grounded for those undergoing challenging life situations.

“It has always been my feeling, especially throughout my nursing career, that we are all here on this earth to help each other in the bad times as well as the good,” Manchester said in the announcement.

“While the good times are easy, we sometimes need helpful tips on how to persevere through the harder times while remaining fully present for those who need us most.”

During the PACE presentation, she will utilize these experiences to explore this challenge of being present and supportive for others during such difficult or life-altering moments as traumatic events and illnesses.

The presentation will answer such important questions as what one might say or do to help a friend or family member deal with a difficult situation and where to find additional resources for extending such support.

PACE talks were begun by Northumberland Hills Hospital Chief of Staff Dr. Mukesh Bhargava in 2018 as educational sessions tackling the issues his patients were most concerned with. The initials stand for Personalized Assessment and Change Education. Many partners have come on board to make this vision a reality, and the free public-education sessions on a broad range of health and wellness topics consistently draw large groups of community members with a variety of questions and perspectives.

Questions are always welcome from audience members, ideally submitted in advance by e-mailing mbhargava@imcare.ca prior to Jan. 23 – though they may be posed live during the event if time permits.

Each hour-long PACE talk consists of a 30-minute presentation, a 20-minute question-and-answer session with the guest speaker and a short moderator summary.

Pre-registration is required, and space is limited to the first 300 attendees to register. The event is hosted through Zoom, and attendees are asked to log in to the event five minutes prior to its start. You can register at www.pacetalks.com, a site where you will also find recordings from many of the previous seasons' talks.

Bring your questions, your suggestions and your experience and join in what is expected to be another informative discussion on a topic chosen by previous PACE attendees.