Caregiving and Palliative Care Resource List
This list of online, national, provincial and territorial resources was developed for National Hospice Palliative Care Week 2024 and is reviewed and updated every year.
Find resources on:
Note: These resources include links to external websites. We do our best to make sure these links are accurate and up to date. However, CHPCA is not responsible for any of the content hosted on external websites or for their accuracy.
To suggest new resources to include, contact us at [email protected].
Palliative Care and Caregiving Guides and Podcasts
CHPCA Palliative Care Info Sheets
- What is Palliative Care?
- When Should I Think About Palliative Care?
- Where Can I Find Palliative Care?
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A Caregiver’s Guide: A Handbook About End-of-life Care This book is intended to provide practical guidance and address many fears and uncertainties about end of life and caregiving in clear and simple terms. Hospitallers of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem and Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
Caregiver Compass Tips and tools to help you manage your caregiving responsibilities. Developed by SE Health.
Carechannel CareChannel is an online portal with free resources for family and community caregivers to help them in their caregiving journeys. Developed by Saint Elizabeth Foundation. Presented by Elizz.
The Waiting Room Revolution podcast This podcast can help anyone dealing with serious illness. Hsien Seow and Samantha Winemaker
Who Cares: A Podcast about caregiving in Canada Presented by the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence
What Happens When Someone is Dying An overview of the bodily changes that show a person is likely to be close to death and what you can do. Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief
The Process of Dying Resources include recognizing signs of dying and end-of-life medications. Highland Hospice (Scotland)
Providing Care and Comfort at the End of Life An article about ways to help provide care and comfort to someone who is dying. National Institute on Aging (USA)
EI Caregiving Benefits An overview of caregiving benefits offered by the Government of Canada.
Palliative Care Explained A peer-reviewed video library on YouTube designed specifically for the Canadian context that clinicians can recommend to families during or after a consultation. The videos are reviewed for clinical accuracy by a committee of palliative care experts to ensure that they align with the standards of Canadian palliative practice. Dr. Jonathan Wong, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Online Learning
Care Connections Pallium’s Care Connections Program consists of a suite of resources and activities to support the millions of Canadians who are caring for their family, friends, and members of their communities. These resources are provided for free and are designed to empower every Canadian to support the caregivers in their lives and to help strengthen the important social connections within our communities. Pallium Canada
Caregiving Essentials Caregiving Essentials is a free, self-paced online program designed to support family and informal caregivers. It offers practical knowledge and skills to help you care for loved ones at home while enhancing your own health and well-being. McMaster University
Creating Caregiver-Friendly Workplaces offers tools for employers including free online courses as well as resources for employees. McMaster University
Caregiver Support Education & First Nations Caregiver Support Education This website is meant to assist caregivers in finding the support they need, exactly when they need it. There are up to 20 topics with tips, videos, and activities to go along with each topic. Hospice Palliative Care Ontario
About Grief Programs and services in your province or territory for people grieving or supporting someone else. Aboutgrief.ca
Providing Care A self-paced course that includes information on sleep and caregivers, help with medication, care for yourself and much more. Canadian Virtual Hospice
Living My Culture Quality palliative care helps you honour your culture, spirituality and traditions. At LivingMyCulture.ca, people from various cultures share their stories and wisdom about living with serious illness, end of life and grief to support others. Canadian Virtual Hospice
CaregiversCAN If you are caring for someone who is ill or living with mobility challenges, these modules are for you. Access them anytime of the day or night, as many times as you need, and at no cost. Canadian Virtual Hospice
Videos
Advance Care Planning
Living Well, Planning Well: An Advance Care Planning Resource for Accessing Your Rights This resource provides plain language summaries of the processes of health care consent, capacity, ACP, and substitute decision-making in Canada.
Comfort Care at the End-of-Life for Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease or other Degenerative Diseases This guide is intended for caregivers of a person whose
health has been severely affected by Alzheimer’s disease or by another type of degenerative disease of the brain, such as Parkinson’s disease, the effects of multiple
strokes, or even certain forms of multiple sclerosis. SPA LTC, Advance Care Planning Canada, Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
Resource Guide for Home and Community Care Providers This resource guide provides a map of available resources to engage home and community care providers in three target behaviours for successful advance care planning. Advance Care Planning Canada, Canadian Home Care Association, Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
My Advance Care Planning Guide A fillable online guide for documenting and expressing wishes and preferences for health and personal care. Advance Care Planning Canada
For Indigenous Persons
Preparing for the Journey: Caring for Indigenous Peoples Who Are Seriously Ill This Guide provides Indigenous health and social care providers, family, and community members with practical guidance and support on caring for people with serious illnesses. Centre for Education and Research on Aging & Health, Lakehead University
LivingMyCulture.ca At LivingMyCulture.ca, people from various cultures share their stories and wisdom about living with serious illness, end of life and grief to support others. Canadian Virtual Hospice
First Nations Caregiver Support Education Self-led information on topics like the palliative approach to care, understanding how being a caregiver affects you, honouring the priorities of the person you are caring for and more. Hospice Palliative Care Ontario
Coming Full Circle: Planning for your care This guide helps you to reflect on your values, beliefs and wishes for care and to share this information with
your loved ones. First Nations Health Authority and Canadian Virtual Hospice
Your Care, Your Choices This conversation guide is your tool to learn about Advance Care Planning. The goal of planning is to support you, your family and health care providers, to walk side by side through your life and journey into the Spirit World. First Nations Health Authority
Elder’s Guide The purpose of the Guide is to make sure that Elders, their families and caregivers have access to information about the programs, services and resources they need. A comprehensive resource First Nations Health Authority
National Caregiver Organizations or Programs
Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence (CCCE) The Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence supports and empowers caregivers and care providers, advances the knowledge and capacity of the caregiving field, and advocates for effective and visionary social policy, with a disability-informed approach.
Caregiving Matters Caregiving Matters offers educations and support to family caregivers. It is a place where caregivers can learn and gain insights into the many issues of caregiving
Canadian Home Care Association (CHCA) The CHCA advances initiatives that address national priorities in home and community care. As a recognized authority, the CHCA facilitates knowledge sharing, creates connections, informs policy and practices, and advocates for integrated home and community care for all Canadians.
Carers Canada, a program of the CHCA, Carers Canada is a national coalition dedicated to increasing recognition and support for caregivers. Through collaborative engagement, members work to build awareness and recognition of the role of caregivers and the challenges they face.
Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) VON nurses, personal support workers, therapists and other health-care providers deliver care and services that offer clinical, personal and social support in homes and communities across Nova Scotia and Ontario.
Respite and Caregiver Support Services and programs from VON that support the critical role of family caregivers.
Young Caregivers Association Through programs like Powerhouse, the Young Caregivers Association empowers your people caring for loved ones to thrive.
Provincial / Territorial Caregiver Support Organizations
L’Appui proches aidants Quebec resources for caregivers.
Caregivers Alberta Alberta’s dedicated caregiver support organization.
Compassionate Alberta A project by the Covenant Health Palliative Institute, Compassionate Alberta was created to improve public understanding of, and community support for, palliative care and advance care planning.
Caregivers Nova Scotia Resources for friends and families giving care in Nova Scotia.
Family Caregivers of British Columbia (FCBC) FCBC helps caregivers feel more confident and supported in their role by providing access to information, education, and compassionate supports tailored to caregivers’ needs.
The Ontario Caregiver Organization Practical resources and tools for your caregiving journey as well as counselling, peer support and other programs to help caregivers with mental health and well-being.
Other Helpful Organizations and Programs
Give a Mile Provides flights for people at end-of-life to connect with their loved ones for a final goodbye.
Hope Air Providing Canadians in financial need with free travel to access medical care far from home.
Biblio-Santé Booklets Quality health related information selected by Quebec public libraries, including:
Helpful Tip: Many disease-specific or disability focused organizations also provide support for caregivers who care for a person affected by that illness or disability.
