FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2026 National Hospice Palliative Care Week Campaign Kit Now Available 

Ottawa, ON — Organizations across Canada are invited to take part in National Hospice Palliative Care Week, May 3-9, 2026, as the official Campaign Kit is now available. 

National Hospice Palliative Care Week is a national initiative to celebrate and highlight the incredible work being done to provide quality hospice palliative care across the country, while also calling for better access to this care in every community and in every setting. 

Quality palliative care addresses the physical, emotional, spiritual, and family impacts of serious illness, including support for caregivers and loved ones. However, Canada still lacks the capacity to consistently deliver palliative care in the community, particularly in hospice, and many people in Canada still face barriers to accessing palliative care due to factors such as age, location, diagnosis, race or ethnicity, and housing instability.  

Every family facing the challenges of a life-limiting illness deserves the best possible care and support. Whether in hospice, at home, in long-term care, or in hospital, palliative care can and should be available to meet individual needs in any setting. 

The 2026 National Hospice Palliative Care Week Campaign Kit is designed to make participation easy and impactful. It includes ready-to-use resources that organizations can adapt for their communities, whether they are hosting an in-person event, running a digital campaign, or sharing information with clients and families. 

“We know that timely palliative care improves quality of life, yet too many people in Canada still cannot access it or are not aware of the full benefits a palliative approach to care offers,” said Cheryl Spencer, Interim CEO, Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA). “National Hospice Palliative Care Week is a time to recognize the remarkable work happening across the country, a call to action to ensure equitable access to palliative care for every person in every community and care setting, and an opportunity to support the millions of caregivers caring for their loved ones.”  

By joining the 2026 National Hospice Palliative Care Week campaign, participating individuals and organizations become part of a growing national movement working to improve awareness, understanding, and access to quality hospice palliative care across Canada. 

Organizations are encouraged to download the campaign kit now and begin planning their National Hospice Palliative Care Week activities for May 3 – 9, 2026. 

Download the campaign kit 

For more information visit: https://www.chpca.ca/awareness/national-hospice-palliative-care-week/ 

About CHPCA: 

The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) is the national voice for hospice palliative care in Canada. CHPCA is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in hospice palliative care and provides leadership on advocacy, education, research, and knowledge translation to ensure that everyone in Canada has access to high-quality hospice palliative care. CHPCA operates in close partnership with provincial hospice palliative care organizations and other national organizations to strengthen the accessibility and quality of palliative care provided across Canada. Visit www.chpca.ca to find out more.

Media Contact:
Tara Landry
Communications Officer