Inspiring. Forward Thinking. Food for Thought.
Editorials | White Papers
Summers in BC are becoming increasingly hot. Researchers from Simon Fraser University shared best practices to prepare for and cope with the heat, and evidence-based strategies for supporting older adults.
DOWNLOAD
Download Zoom Training
Presentations (PDF)
June 11, 2025
Quality of Life
June 18, 2025
Resourcing
Allan Kellehear. 2013. Compassionate communities: end-of-life care as everyone’s Responsibility.Q J Med 2013; 106:1071–1075.
View this article
​
​
Bonnie Tompkins. 2018. Compassionate Communities in Canada (“Compassionate Communities in
Canada: it is everyone’s responsibility.
​
​
Holt-Lunstad J et al. 2015. Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic
review. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2015 Mar;10(2):227-37.
View this article (download PDF)
​​
​
Eman Hassan. 2015. The Public Health Approach to Palliative Care: Principles, Models, and International Perspectives. View the BC Centre for Palliative Care’s White Paper
​
Referenced in Nav-CARE Training
Broadcasts | Podcasts | Links
Videos
Hsien and Sammy have spent their careers helping those who are facing serious illness. For years, they often heard patients and families say they felt unprepared and overwhelmed. Despite years of education, research, and advocacy, they continued to hear patients and families say “Why didn’t anyone tell me that sooner…”​
​
​They started the Waiting Room Revolution movement because they wanted to improve the patient and family illness experience. They want to build a community to share deeply human stories about caring for others. Through interviews with experts, clinicians, patients and caregivers, they are harnessing the advice of those with lived experience to better prepare those who are just starting their caring journey.
​
The Family Caregiver Decision Guide grew out of a desire to assist families, who are managing serious life-limiting illness, to live as well as possible. Family caregivers are essential to this process of living well. However, we have learned through research studies and clinical work that caregivers are often unprepared for their role and lack the necessary education and support. This means that the many decisions that must be made over time can be challenging. The development of this Guide was our answer to the need for focused information and decision support
A lot of people want to change their lives, but they are not quite sure how. They think of hope as a magic wish, or an ideal that is out of reach. In this talk, Dr. Chan Hellman shares there is both science and power in hope to help people create the change they want in life.
Watch “Volunteering Brings Me Joy”
National spotlight for volunteer navigation
The Canadian Medical Association Journal recently published an article, “Volunteer navigators to support people with life-limiting illness in the community” (Vol. 197, issue 16. 28 April 2025), which highlights how grassroots, community-led patient support intersects with patient satisfaction and a clinical audience.
Spotlighting the work of Nav-CARE, the article authors, Dr. Barb Pesut from UBC-O and her team, outline how a volunteer navigation program differs from (and complements) the work of a paid patient navigator, and how it benefits both the clients and the volunteer navigators in a real-world, cost-effective way.
Volunteer navigation has been in development in Canada for more than a decade. Created to assist people living in the community who would benefit from a palliative approach to care, the authors expect it will continue to grow since it addresses several national policy directions described in Health Canada’s framework and action plan on palliative care, including adopting a palliative approach to care, a compassionate community approach to care, and a public health approach to palliative care.
BCCPC is partnering with UBC-O on two exciting projects about volunteer navigation. Read our story from March’s CentrePoint.
What Is a Dementia Friendly Community
Alzhiemers Society of Canada
White Coat Black Art with Dr. Brian Goldman
Palliative care isn't just for patients – it's for families (26 Minutes)
Jan 24, 2025
Faced with a life-limiting illness, most Canadians would like to die at home. But only 13% are offered the palliative support to do so, which Dr. Sammy Winemaker wants to change. The palliative home care physician introduces us to the family of patient Shelley McCarthy two years after her death at home from thyroid cancer. They say a palliative approach should be offered early and include everyone.
​
White Coat Black Art with Dr. Brian Goldman
What if palliative care was about living better? (26 Minutes)
Feb. 28, 2025
Palliative physician Dr. Samantha Winemaker says her line of work has a branding problem. Instead of thinking of it as "the Grim Reaper service" to be called in at the 11th hour, she says patients benefit from a palliative approach as soon as they're faced with a life-limiting illness. "Dr. Sammy" meets a new patient and his family for the first time - showing how her person-centered care treads the fine line between honesty and hope.
Understanding Palliative Care
Palliative care is designed to relieve the symptoms and stress associated with living with a serious illness. However, many individuals who could benefit from this support do not access it due to various misunderstandings about what palliative care entails. This presentation will explore the definition of palliative care and the types of support it provides. (Covenant Health Palliative Institute)
https://covenanthealthca.github.io/understanding-palliative-care/story.html
​
Bill’s Story: Facing it Together.
What is a Compassionate Community?