The BC Hospice Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA) is expressing deep concern following the temporary closure of three hospice beds at Aitken Community Hospice in the Comox Valley, owned and operated by Golden Life Management.
The decision, made after the discontinuation of temporary Ministry of Health funding for contract nurses on October 31, represents a 50% reduction in local hospice capacity. For families in the Comox Valley, this means fewer options for compassionate, end-of-life care close to home.
“This isn’t just a local issue in the Comox Valley, it’s a signal of a broader provincial risk,” said Pablita Thomas, Executive Director of BCHPCA. “When temporary funding ends, communities lose access to hospice beds that families depend on at the end of life. These are not interchangeable systems.”
A system stretched thin
The closures drop Aitken Community Hospice from six beds to three, reducing local access from 7.7 to 3.9 beds per 100,000 people, well below national best practice guidelines.
Across BC, there are approximately 318 hospice beds, with an estimated 60–80 co-located within long-term-care (LTC) facilities.
In many communities, local hospice societies raise funds, provide speciality training to volunteers, and provide psychosocial and bereavement supports for residents receiving end-of-life care in these settings.
Hospice beds differ fundamentally from LTC beds: they are purpose designed for comfort, dignity, and symptom management in the final days or weeks of life. While short-term funding may stabilize hospitals or care homes, it cannot replace the specialized hospice model that integrates medical, emotional, and spiritual support.
The call for dedicated hospice funding
“We invest heavily in health systems that support birth and recovery,” Thomas added. “But as a society, we must also care for people at the end of life with the same attention and dignity. Hospice care is not a luxury, it’s a vital service.”
BCHPCA is calling for a dedicated and stable funding model within the Ministry of Health to protect hospice capacity, prevent erosion during system pressures, and ensure that hospice beds are not repurposed to fill other gaps in the health system.
“Communities like Comox shouldn’t lose access to hospice care every time temporary funding runs out,” Thomas said. “These programs have been built over decades by volunteers, families, and donors who believe everyone deserves a peaceful place to die.”
About the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association
The BC Hospice Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA) is the united voice for more than 70 hospice societies across BC and the Yukon. BCHPCA advocates for equitable, community-based access to hospice palliative care, grief support, and caregiver services, providing system level leadership, data, and education to strengthen end-of-life care.
Media Inquires:
Pablita Thomas
Executive Director
BC Hospice Palliative Care Association
(604) 267-7024
pablita.thomas@bchpca.org
