Advocacy

Accessible and Comprehensive Care: We champion accessible and comprehensive hospice palliative care for every person in Canada facing a life-limiting illness, in the setting of their choosing. 

Framework and Action Plan Implementation: We advocate for the full funding and effective implementation of the Framework on Palliative Care (2018) and the Action Plan on Palliative Care (2019) to ensure consistent and high-quality care nationwide.

Adequate Resourcing: To meet the growing demand, CHPCA pushes for adequate resources for hospice palliative care organizations and teams, fostering continued growth and excellence in care provision.

Expanding Grief Support: CHPCA believes in enhancing grief and bereavement support services both within communities and hospice palliative care organizations.

Support for Caregivers: CHPCA’s advocacy extends to unpaid caregivers, calling for increased support, including accessible respite care, financial assistance, employment accommodations and protections, along with grief and bereavement support services.

Education and Training: CHPCA works towards establishing a standardized curriculum, ensuring that healthcare and community care workers receive comprehensive education and training in basic palliative care competencies.

International Advocacy: CHPCA supports advocacy efforts to increase support and awareness of palliative care on the international stage led by the World Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA) and the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC).

Prepared by CHPCA with support from the Canadian Cancer Society, this report provides updated information on dedicated in-patient hospice palliative care (HPC) bed counts in hospice residence programs.  

In response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, CHPCA advocated for more compassionate visitation protocols and hosted the Saying Goodbye Concerts to honour and grieve loved ones who died.