Message from the Minister of Health: National Hospice Palliative Care Week - May 5 to 11, 2019
Statement
It is National Hospice Palliative Care Week. This year’s theme is Busting the Myths on Hospice Palliative Care.
Palliative care is for individuals at any stage of an illness. The goal is to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. This type of care can be delivered in many settings, including at home. There is a perception that when someone accepts palliative care, they have given up on life. That is simply not true at all. Palliative care is about getting support to individuals and their loved ones during one of the most difficult times of their lives.
Whether about accessibility, ease of access or cultural misperceptions, myths can create barriers to much-needed supports for individuals and their loved ones.
In Canada, less than 30% of people who could benefit from palliative care actually have access to it. It could—and should—be easier. I hope that by working together we can create a cultural shift in how we talk about death, dying and end-of-life care.
Every Canadian deserves to live out their life in comfort and dignity. That’s why I tabled the Framework on Palliative Care in Canada in Parliament last December. This Framework provides a useful reference point across jurisdictions to help identify opportunities, address gaps and share promising practices to support improved access to palliative care. We look forward to working collaboratively with provinces, territories, stakeholders, communities, people living with life-limiting illnesses and their caregivers to implement the Framework.
I would like to sincerely thank the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association and other partners for their continued work—not only in busting the myths around palliative care but also for their tireless work to help improve access and raise awareness. I would also like thank the many caring professionals and volunteers for their continued dedication and commitment to palliative and end-of-life care.
The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor
Minister of Health