Full course description
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
Time: 10:30 am–11:45 am PST
Audience: All faculty and staff at UBC Vancouver and Okanagan are welcome to attend.
Location: Zoom. (Once you’ve registered, you will be directed to the course Canvas page where you can find the Zoom link.)
About this workshop:
Are you supporting aging parents and raising children? Or do you simply have a lot on your plate at this stage in your life and career? You might know that you should “have your affairs in order” but at the moment, that just feels like one more thing on an already long to-do list.
We’ll use a clear, practical framework to explore the foundational elements of personal planning: medical decision-making, legal documentation, and disposition options. You’ll gain some practical insight on how to talk to aging parents (no matter how much they’d prefer to avoid the conversation!). We’ll take a values-based, holistic approach to planning that acknowledges the emotional (but often invisible) labour this stage of life requires.
Interactive Elements:
- The Conversation Starter: Prompts and language for initiating plain-language planning discussions with family.
- Priority Sorting: Quick guided activity to determine your next best step in planning.
Key Takeaways:
- Clarity on where to start with “essential planning”
- Tools to begin difficult conversations with aging parents and loved ones.
Important notes:
- The session will not be recorded, but the slides will be shared.
- Participation will be via Zoom chat. There will not be breakout rooms.
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Closed captioning can be enabled.
About your facilitator
Christa Ovenell (she/her) is the founder of Death’s Apprentice Education & Planning. She is a funeral director, end-of-life doula, and community educator. Her heartfelt, practical approach to tackling difficult topics helps folks think about, talk about, and prepare for all aspects of life....even death. You can find her via her website www.deathsapprentice.ca or on Instagram @deathsapprentice.ca
If you have questions, please email Lauren Lee at lauren.lee@ubc.ca.
Keywords: VRPTGY, ONCS, VRRNSE, ORLS, OE, WG, WGIS, INSWE