Waiting Room Revolution
Dr. Hsien Seow, a health-care researcher, and Dr. Sammy Winemaker, a palliative-care physician, founded the Waiting Room Revolution (WRR). Over decades of caring for individuals and families, they witnessed systemic gaps that too often leave people unprepared for what to expect throughout the course of a life-changing illness.
In response, they launched a social movement to transform the experience of patients, families, and health-care providers. The Waiting Room Revolution challenges the status quo by advocating for a more compassionate, transparent, and empowering approach to care—one that bridges the gap between what clinicians understand and what patients and families are actually told.
At the heart of this movement are the 7 Keys, which help people feel more informed, involved, and supported:
7 Keys for Navigating a Life-Changing Diagnosis
Balancing staying positive while also seeking honest, accurate information. This helps you stay hopeful and grounded in reality.
ASK YOURSELF
What are you hoping for, and what do you need to plan for just in case?
Your unique way of being will have as much impact on your illness experience as the illness itself. Harness information about your style to gain more control.
REFLECT
What are your tendencies when facing stressful situations, and how might those play out in your illness?
Your inner crew (e.g., family and caregivers) will have a parallel illness journey. Their lives will be affected in multiple ways.
CONSIDER
What support do you need from your inner crew? Encourage them to get information and support too.
Initiate conversations with your healthcare team. Don’t assume no news is good news. Passive, polite patients are encouraged to be respectfully assertive.
ASK QUESTIONS
Seek information so you can understand how to plan, prepare, and make decisions.
Every illness has a known pattern to it. Understanding this storyline gives you a bird’s-eye and long-view of where you are in your illness.
ASK YOUR PROVIDER
What will my illness look like over time? What can I expect along the way?
Ideally, you want to tailor your care to match your values. Share what’s important to you to ensure that your care matches who you are as a unique person.
ASK YOURSELF
What do you want people to know about you? What do you value most?
You and your inner crew need to play a central role in coordinating information. This enhances continuity and safety, especially at transition points
ASK YOURSELF
Who in your crew will be the manager of your illness journey?
Hospice Orillia and the NSMHPCN are proud partners in the Waiting Room Revolution, championing these principles to ensure individuals and families feel informed, empowered, and supported every step of the way. We also encourage you to explore the resources linked below to learn more and access helpful tools and information.
Illness Roadmaps
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with a progressive, life-changing illness, an illness roadmap can help support planning, conversations, and understanding what may come next. These roadmaps are available for Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and ovarian cancer, and were developed by the Waiting Room Revolution in partnership with Health Canada.
Illness roadmaps may also be helpful for other progressive illnesses, including other types of dementia, pulmonary fibrosis, congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, chronic kidney disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, severe stroke, multi-system atrophy, and supranuclear palsy. A blank roadmap is also available so you can bring it to your health care provider and complete one for your specific illness, using the existing roadmaps as a guide.
It may be helpful to bring a printed copy of a completed illness roadmap to your appointment to support discussion and shared decision-making with your health care team.
Become a Waiting Room Ambassador
Becoming a Waiting Room Revolution Ambassador is a meaningful way to share your support for Hospice Orillia while helping raise awareness of the important role hospice care plays in our community. As an ambassador, you will help connect people with the WRR mission, share information about our programs, and inspire others to get involved. This volunteer opportunity is a wonderful fit for someone who enjoys meeting new people, values community connection, and wants to make a difference in a flexible and rewarding way.
Our dedicated team is also offering Waiting Room Revolution Ambassador training sessions:
- Date: Various, see below.
- Registration Deadline: 2 weeks before session date.
- Location: Hospice Orillia office, 169 Front St. S., Orillia, ON
- Time: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- RSVP: Please select your preferred date using the form below.
- Notes: Light refreshments will be provided.