By BCHospice (BCHPCA) Health & Wellness, Local News – October 10, 2024
The demand for grief and bereavement care is expanding. As a result of the rapidly aging population in British Columbia, the British Columbia Hospice and Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA) is encouraging provincial party leaders and candidates to create a plan to ensure that grief and bereavement care is available to all residents of the province, including rural and remote areas.
Although British Columbia experiences more deaths per capita than other jurisdictions, its palliative care expenditure remains disproportionately low and accounts for just 2% of the health care budget despite experiencing the same number of deaths per capita. It is common for rural and remote residents, Indigenous peoples, people of colour, and the differently abled to face barriers to receiving timely, appropriate, and safe health care. The current government of BC has yet to outline its plans for the upcoming election, even though Ontario’s budget for 2024 contains robust hospice and palliative care plans.
“Everyone deserves to die with dignity, in the settings of their choice and chosen family members should have access to high quality and compassionate grief and bereavement supports while navigating the tragic loss of a loved one,” said Pablita Thomas, Executive Director of the British Columbia Hospice and Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA). “These services not only relieve burdens on families and caregivers, but also enhance the health of our communities through the reminder that they are not alone.”
Following the enduring impact of a pandemic marked by traumatic deaths from toxic drugs, environmental disasters and societal economic hardships, hospice societies and the palliative supports they offer through end of life, including grief and bereavement offer crucial resources to some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
“People who are experiencing substance use or homelessness are often turned away from traditional medical services and by the time they are diagnosed with a life limiting illness, it is often too late,” said Pablita Thomas, Executive Director of the BCHPCA. “People need access to services that hospice and palliative care societies provide so they no longer slip through the cracks.”
In rural areas support for those structurally unhoused or homeless experiencing drug addiction and substance use are limited to what is readily available. Hospice and palliative care professionals and societies offer mental wellness support and counselling for those who have lost someone they care for. These services are provided by a specialty trained workforce, including; physicians, social workers, nurses and specialty trained hospice volunteers.
As we approach the 2024 election, prioritizing advocacy for a provincial hospice and palliative care strategy must be paramount. It is not only an issue of dignity and compassion, but by supporting our aging population we ensure that every individual facing the end of life receives compassionate and culturally appropriate care, regardless of their location in British Columbia.
About British Columbia Hospice and Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA): BC Hospice Palliative Care Association is a not-for-profit, membership organization, which has been representing individuals and organizations committed to promoting and delivering hospice/palliative care to British Columbians since 1986. Our Members provide a broad range of services to British Columbians who are dying and to their loved ones who are grieving; BCHPCA Members provide these services in all regions of the Province
Taken from the original post at https://saltspringexchange.com/2024/10/10/the-glaring-gap-in-end-of-life-services-for-our-aging-and-underserved-population/
