Big News! BC Centre for Palliative Care & BC Hospice Palliative Care Association announce a consensus-based definition for the services provided by hospice societies in BC.
For further information please visit Hospice Definitions Project.
On October 6, 2023, the Hospice Care Alliance of British Columbia (HCABC) held its second Roundtable meeting at the Vancouver Marriott Airport Hotel. The event, facilitated by Pabilta Thomas, Executive Director of BCHPCA and Secretariat of the Alliance, was attended by key stakeholders and new partners in hospice care from across British Columbia. This report aims to provide a factual summary of the discussions and outcomes of this full-day meeting.
The agenda of the meeting included participant introductions, a presentation on the Alliance’s recent projects, and an in-depth discussion on the Terms of Reference, Vision, Mandate, and collective goals of the Alliance. The discussions focused on three of the ten steps from the “Path Forward” report: advocating for a provincial policy and strategy for hospice care, exploring partnership opportunities with underserved communities, and raising public awareness of hospice palliative care.
The report details the discussions held, the feedback received, and the decisions made during the meeting. It serves as a record of the event and provides information on the future priorities and planned contributions of the participants in relation to the Alliance’s activities.
A Report on the State of Palliative Care in Canada
Health Canada has published a progress report on its “Framework on Palliative Care in Canada” detailing the progress in palliative care since the adoption of the 2017 framework. This framework, mandated by the Government of Canada, focuses on improving palliative care accessibility nationwide. The report, based on data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, indicates an increase in palliative care usage – from 52% in 2016-2017 to 58% in 2021-2022. It also notes a rise in the number of Canadians receiving palliative care at home.
The report further highlights the expansion of hospice facilities, with an increase in the number of residential hospice beds across the country. This expansion is part of a broader effort by provinces and territories to enhance palliative care services, as exemplified by new hospice openings in Yukon and Saskatchewan. The full report, offering a detailed overview of the state of palliative care in Canada, is available for download on the Health Canada website.
Learn more and download report
The Action Plan:
A Product of Insights from 33 Experts, 32 Organizations, and Two Public Partners at the 2022 Provincial Bereavement Roundtable.
The groundbreaking report maps how British Columbians experience grief, and where they turn for support, and presents actionable recommendations to enhance the diverse forms of grief and bereavement support across the province.
Whether you’re an organization, professional, or someone who has experienced bereavement, this Action Plan has valuable insights and actionable recommendations.
Released By BC Centre For Palliative Care- November 2023
Many people in Canada experience challenges in accessing palliative care when and where they need it early enough in their illness trajectory to get the support they need. These challenges have been further exacerbated by the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on policy priorities, programs and services related to hospice palliative care in Canada. As such, the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) made it a priority to understand the state of palliative care across the country including progress made, enablers, barriers and gaps in care.
To do so, CCS surveyed all provinces and territories, 4 departments of the federal government and 13 community organizations on the state of palliative care. Quebec and Manitoba are the only two provinces that did not take part in the survey. The survey aimed to provide an update on the findings published in 2017 by the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association as part of The Way Forward Initiative.
The report details the state of palliative care in each surveyed jurisdiction. The report also includes the number of hospice beds in each province and territory. Based on the findings, CCS has provided a response discussing the ways governments can address the existing gaps and barriers identified in the report.
Released By Cancer Society of Canada – October 2023
First-of-its-kind Hospice Care Report Released Outlining a Bold Plan to Improve Hospice Care in B.C.
Vancouver, BC – By 2036, one-quarter of BC’s residents will be over the age of 65, and studies indicate these older adults want to age safely at home, and to have a say in their care when faced with serious illnesses—a desire that will burden the current health care and social systems in BC.
A first-of-its-kind report, Hospice Care in British Columbia: The Path Forward, proposes a series of actions to prepare hospice organizations to work together to address the needs of British Columbians affected by aging and serious illnesses in local communities. These actions aim to leverage and sustain the community-based, volunteer-driven hospice services already in place. Hospice care complements the medical services already provided by the health care system by focusing on the unmet psychosocial, practical and spiritual needs of their clients including families, and supporting them to live the best possible quality of life in the place of their choice.
The report was released today by The Provincial Hospice Working Group (PHWG), a collective of leading hospice and palliative care organizations in BC. A collaborative effort, the report is the result of a year-long project including research activities and extensive consultation with key stakeholders in the health system and community.
The report highlights the current state of hospice care in BC and calls for collective action to enrich existing strengths, build sustainable infrastructure, and develop new capacity and skills for hospice organizations. The report lays out a 10-step action plan for achieving this. The first step is to form the Hospice Care Alliance of British Columbia, which will include representatives from hospice organizations, government, health authorities, professional and community-based organizations, researchers, as well as patient and family groups, to bring the vision of The Path Forward to life.
About The Provincial Hospice Working Group (PHWG) – The Provincial Hospice Working Group (PHWG) is a collective of leading hospice palliative care organizations who took the initiative to coordinate the development of a path forward to improve access to high quality, fully integrated, and sustained hospice care for all British Columbians. The founding members of the PHWG are representatives of the British Columbia Centre for Palliative Care, British Columbia Hospice Palliative Care Association, Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, Victoria Hospice, and Vancouver Island Federation of Hospices.
The full report
The media backgrounder
Contacts:
Dr. Eman Hassan, Executive Director of the BC Centre for Palliative Care
Phone: (778) 788-7767
Email: [email protected]
Kevin Harter, Executive Director, Victoria Hospice, and Board Member of British Columbia Hospice Palliative Care Association
Phone: (250) 208-6522
Email: [email protected]
QUOTES:
“I am pleased that key stakeholders within the Hospice Palliative Care community, have come together to present this report on hospice palliative care with the goal of furthering access to BC’s residents.”
MP, Ron McKinnon, Chair of the Standing Committee on Health, Canada
“Hospice organizations are well positioned and have the agility to respond quickly to the immense needs for compassion, support, and care in local communities. This well-timed report lays out a step-by-step path recommended by stakeholders to empower hospice organizations to play a leading and impactful role in leveraging community care and support for all British Columbians, particularly for older adults and people with serious conditions.”
Dr. Eman Hassan, Executive Director, BC Centre for Palliative Care
“In light of this pandemic, this report is timely and highlights the challenges, gaps and resiliency of hospice palliative care in our province. But more importantly, it shines a light on how hospice societies within our communities can further aid during this pandemic and future crisis with collaborative and stakeholder support.”
Donna Flood, President of the British Columbia Hospice Palliative Care Association
“This report and the recommendations from the round table will set the necessary foundation for hospices in BC to step forward and fulfill their role in this essential collaboration. The current and future needs of our communities require that all sectors work together to ensure a 360-degree approach to meeting these needs. ”
Kevin Harter, CEO Victoria Hospice
“The “Path Forward Report” and its recommendations recently developed by the Provincial Hospice Working Group on hospice care is a great leap forward in providing a practical road map to expand and improve the integration of quality hospice services across BC. It provides for collaboration at all levels to help realize best practices to optimize the management of those challenged with a life -limiting condition as well as end-of-life care for all our citizens.”
Dr. David Hunt, Palliative Care Physician and Commander, Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller
Key healthcare stakeholders and representatives of hospice organizations across BC will join exclusive webinars on July 28 and 29, 2020 to learn more about this first-of-its-kind report and plans for the growth of HCABC.
Recorded Meeting Links
- Provincial Hospice Working Group Meeting (July 28, 2020)
- Webinar for Hospice Organizations (July 29, 2020)