‘Martha’ got sick caring for her husband before she realized she needed it; ‘Jacqueline’ didn’t know it existed until three months after the long, devastating journey of caring for her husband ended; and ‘Frank’ doesn’t know what he would have done without it.  The ‘it’ is hospice palliative care.  Caring for a loved one at the end of their life is one of the most difficult things a family or informal caregiver has to face. Many informal and family caregivers face this journey alone because they are unaware of the resources that are available in their community to assist them both during their loved ones’ illness and during their bereavement period.

 

In an effort to raise greater awareness of the need for increased availability of hospice palliative care in Canada, the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) is pleased to coordinate National Hospice Palliative Care Week, which takes place from May 2nd to May 8th, 2005. The theme of the 2005 campaign is ‘The Many Faces of Caregiving.  The theme encompasses the many Canadians who care for those living with or dying from a life-threatening illness, with special emphasis this year on informal and family caregivers – families, friends, neighbours, and visiting volunteers from hospice organizations.  National Hospice Palliative Care Week is about awareness – awareness of the programs and services available to care for someone at the end of their life, and awareness that currently there is insufficient funding available within the Canadian health care system to provide the full range of services necessary so that Canadians may die with dignity, free of pain, surrounded by their loved ones in a setting of their choice.

 

Demand for Quality End-of-Life Care Grows in Ontario

§                    As Ontario’s population ages, the need for quality end-of-life care escalates

§                    Each year more than 220,000 Canadians die, with an estimated 160,000 needing hospice palliative care services

§                    Each death will immediately affect another five people, in fact one in every 10 people are currently caring for a loved one with a life-threatening or long-term illness

§                    Every 8.5 minutes a Canadian dies from cancer. As the number of people with life-threatening illness continues to escalate, the number of people available to care for them continues to diminish.

§                    The need for hospice volunteers continues to grow – currently 13,300 volunteers dedicate 630,000 hours of service each year in more than 450 communities throughout Ontario.

§                    Statistics Canada estimates one out of every two Canadians of working age will be caring for a loved one at home in the next generation.

Provision of Essential Programs and Services

1.                  Hospice care provides emotional, psychological, spiritual and practical human comfort to the patient living with a life-threatening illness and their loved ones. Hospice care also aims to provide much needed caregiver respite, emotional and bereavement support to families.

2.                  Hospices provide an integrated continuum of care in homes, specialized community residential hospices, hospitals and long-term care homes across the province.Collaboration and communication with other health and social service agencies

3.                  Trained volunteers are the cornerstone of the compassionate care provided in local communities across Ontario.