Advocating and promoting palliative care for all

The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association aims to make hospice palliative care available to everyone in the country. lpettet via getty images

Program to support caregivers with accessible education

As the already important role of caregivers becomes even more critical as Canada’s population ages, the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) is launching Last Aid, a program to provide quality and accessible palliative care education to caregivers across the country.

“We’re really going to be hurting if we don’t start supporting caregivers and help them manage the pressures and responsibilities that they’re taking on – while they’re also often working full-time jobs, and maybe even taking care of younger children – while caring for someone else,” says CHPCA’s CEO Laurel Gillespie.

The Last Aid program, originally developed in Germany, covers topics such as understanding the dying process, providing care and navigating the health care system.

Canada will be the 23rd country to make the program available, says Ms. Gillespie, adding the low-cost course (about $35) will be delivered virtually by trained facilitators, and aims to reach as many caregivers as possible through partnerships with hospices and the organization’s reputation as a leader in the palliative care space.

“For us, philanthropy means the difference of being able to advocate and promote palliative care for all Canadians, regardless of their postal code. Everyone should have access to quality palliative care, when and where they need it, whether that be at home, in a shelter, hospital or long-term care home,” she says.

“Part of our mission at CHPCA is to make hospice palliative care available to everyone and to provide the same care and attention when a person leaves this world as when they come into it,” says Ms. Gillespie.

Last Aid supports that mission, and donations to CHPCA will make the difference in being able to provide the course at the lowest possible cost.

Learn more: chpca.ca

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