Become a Last Aid® Facilitator: Bringing Compassionate End-of-Life Education to Communities Across Canada

What does it mean to support someone who is seriously ill or nearing the end of life? For many people, the answer is found not only in health-care settings, but at home and in the community, with family, friends, neighbours, and caregivers. That is why public education about death, dying and end-of-life care matters. The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) is now accepting applications to become Last Aid® Facilitators, trained volunteers who help bring this important education to communities across Canada. 

What is Last Aid®? 

Last Aid® is a public education course that raises awareness and builds knowledge around topics such as palliative care, death, dying, grief and bereavement. Rooted in the compassionate communities approach, Last Aid® recognizes that end-of-life care is not only the responsibility of health-care professionals. The program was developed in Germany in 2008 by Dr. Georg Bollig, an emergency care physician and consultant in palliative medicine. 

The course helps participants become more comfortable talking about death and dying while providing practical information they can use to support someone who is seriously ill, dying or grieving. The need for this kind of education is clear. Worldwide, approximately 95% of the time spent managing a life-limiting illness takes place with family, friends and community members, while only 5% involves health-care professionals. In Canada, family and friend caregivers provide an estimated 70–80% of care to people living with a chronic health problem or disability. Much of the care people need therefore happens outside the formal health-care system, reinforcing the importance of ensuring families, friends and communities have the knowledge, confidence and support they need to care for people experiencing serious illness, dying, death and grief. 

Why Last Aid® is important 

Death and dying are experiences that affect everyone, but many people do not feel prepared to talk about them. Conversations about death can be uncomfortable, and people may not know what to say or how they can help.  Last Aid® helps change that. By making conversations about end-of-life care more open and accessible, the course can help reduce fear and stigma. It gives participants an opportunity to learn, ask questions and reflect on how they can support people who are seriously ill, dying, or grieving. The benefits extend beyond individual participants. Last Aid® helps build communities where people are better prepared to care for and support one another. 

Last Aid® also: 

Encourages open conversations: Last Aid® makes it easier to talk about death, dying and grief. Open conversations can help people share their wishes, concerns and experiences, and feel more comfortable discussing topics that are often difficult to talk about.  

Boosts skills and confidence: The course helps people learn about palliative care and better understand what happens as someone approaches the end of life. This knowledge can help participants feel more prepared and confident when supporting someone who is seriously ill, dying, or grieving. 

Strengthens Community: Last Aid® supports the development of compassionate communities by helping people recognize the important role they can play in caring for and supporting one another through serious illness, dying, death, and grief.  

A growing community of Last Aid® Facilitators 

CHPCA’s Last Aid® Facilitator program is helping expand access to this important education across Canada, with 125 trained facilitators across the country. On August 20, 2026, 50 participants took part in CHPCA’s most recent Last Aid® Facilitator Training session.  Participants gave the four-hour training an overall rating of 4.32 out of 5. Following the session, 82.6% of participants said they felt “prepared” or “very prepared” to meet the responsibilities of a Last Aid® Facilitator. 

Participant feedback highlighted the interactive nature of the training and the opportunity to learn from others: 

“I particularly valued the interactive components, breakout discussions and opportunities to hear from other participants with diverse professional and lived experiences. I also appreciated receiving practical examples of how the course content can be delivered and adapted when facilitating.” 

Participants also commented on the training materials and the facilitation: 

“Materials are excellent.” 

“The facilitators were wonderful and the process engaging – especially the break-outs.” 

 

One participant reflected on their experience with the four-hour format: 

“I thought the flow worked well and the 4 hours went by quickly. The trainers were so knowledgeable and helpful. There was ample opportunity to ask questions.” 

Together, the feedback highlights the value participants placed on practical examples, interactive learning and opportunities to connect with others who bring different professional and lived experiences. 

Become a Last Aid® Facilitator 

Last Aid® Facilitators are trained volunteers who deliver the Last Aid® course guiding and supporting participants in understanding end-of-life care. They provide compassionate education on how to offer comfort and dignity to those in the final stages of life. Facilitators create a safe and welcoming learning environment where participants can ask questions, learn from one another and have conversations that may otherwise be difficult to start.  Becoming a facilitator is an opportunity to help make conversations about serious illness. dying, death, and grief a more natural part of community life. It is also a chance to contribute to a growing movement that recognizes the important role families, friends and communities play in caring for and supporting one another. 

A four-hour virtual training 

CHPCA provides virtual training to prepare volunteers to deliver the Last Aid® course as part of a facilitation team. To become a Last Aid® Facilitator, individuals must:

• Live in Canada
• Complete the CHPCA registration form
• Pay a $200 CDN training fee
• Complete the four-hour virtual training
• Agree to abide by the CHPCA volunteer agreements. 

Facilitators are asked to commit to volunteering for a minimum of one year and to lead a minimum of two courses per year. Facilitators receive a $50 honorarium for each course they lead. 

Two facilitators, two perspectives 

Each Last Aid® course is delivered by two facilitators, bringing together different types of knowledge, experience and perspectives. One facilitator is a clinical facilitator, who must be a current or retired medical doctor or registered nurse (RN). The second facilitator brings lived experience or experience as an allied health professional. This approach recognizes that supporting people through end-of-life care, and grief and bereavement involves more than clinical knowledge. Personal experience, community knowledge, and professional perspectives can all contribute to meaningful conversations about death, dying, caregiving and grief. 

Applicants will be asked which facilitator role they are registering for on the registration form. CHPCA recommends reviewing the Last Aid® Facilitator Roles before completing an application. 

Upcoming training dates 

Upcoming virtual training sessions are: 

• Monday, November 16, 2026, 5:00–9:00 p.m. Eastern 
• Saturday, January 16, 2027, 12:00–4:00 p.m. Eastern 
• Friday, March 5, 2027, 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. Eastern 

Help build a more compassionate Canada 

Most people will be touched by serious illness, caregiving, death or grief and bereavement at some point in their lives. Yet many of us are never taught how to navigate these experiences or how support someone else through them. Last Aid® offers an opportunity to change that. By becoming a Last Aid® Facilitator, volunteers can help people across Canada develop the knowledge and confidence to have important conversations, better understand end-of-life care, and feel more prepared to support those around them.  

CHPCA is now accepting Last Aid® Facilitator applications. If you are interested in helping build stronger, more informed and compassionate communities, consider taking the next step and becoming a Last Aid® Facilitator: https://www.chpca.ca/education/last-aid-facilitator-information/