News

The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia has opened a public consultation on Bill M 232: the Long-Term Care and Hospice Access and Transparency Act.
This is an important opportunity for individuals, families, caregivers, community organizations, and health partners across the province to share their experiences and perspectives on:

- Access to hospice and palliative care

- Quality and continuity of care

- Transparency in long-term care and end-of-life services

- Support for families and caregivers

Public input plays a meaningful role in helping decision makers better understand the realities communities are facing and how policies can be strengthened to improve care.

The BC Hospice Palliative Care Association will be submitting a sector informed response and encourages hospice societies, partners, and members of the general public to participate.

You may wish to share:

• experiences accessing hospice or palliative care services

• service gaps or challenges in your community

• the importance of grief and bereavement supports

• ideas for improving care transitions and communication

• perspectives on how communities can be better supported at end of life

Even a short submission can help ensure community voices are heard.

This consultation aligns with BCHPCA’s ongoing advocacy to strengthen awareness of hospice palliative care, improve access across the province, and support families through serious illness, dying, and grief.

Deadline to participate: March 24, 2026 at 3:00 PM (Pacific Time)

Submissions can be made through the provincial consultation portal:
https://consultation-portal.leg.bc.ca/consultations/194

We encourage you to share this opportunity within your networks to help ensure diverse perspectives from across BC are presented.   

For additional background, please refer to the information letter attached below.

BCHPCA Bill M 232, LTC Access and Transparency Act 2026 March 17.2026.pdf

Take the survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/nursUNBC

The British Columbia Hospice Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA) is pleased to share an invitation from researchers at the University of Northern British Columbia to participate in a national study exploring educational strategies for hospice nursing staff across Canada.

The study, “Nursing Education in Hospice Settings in Canada: Leadership Perspectives on Implementation, Context, and Gaps,” is seeking input from hospice leaders who are involved in planning, supporting, delivering, or evaluating education for nursing staff within their organizations.

Researchers hope to gather insights on current educational approaches, as well as the factors that help or hinder the implementation of hospice nursing education. Findings from the study aim to identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities to support workforce development and strengthen hospice care education across Canada.

Who can participate

Participants may include individuals who:

• Are 19 years of age or older

• Work or have worked in the past three years in a managerial, supervisory, leadership, or educator role in a Canadian hospice organization

• Have direct involvement in educational strategies for hospice nursing staff (such as planning, approving, delivering, or evaluating education programs)

What participation involves

Participation involves completing a brief anonymous online survey, which takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Ethics approval

This study has been reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics Board at the University of Northern British Columbia (REB File #: 6010132).

Contact information

If you have questions about the study, please contact the research team:

• Shannon Freeman, Principal Investigator – School of Nursing, UNBC - shannon.freeman@unbc.ca

• Santiago Otalvaro, Student Researcher – School of Nursing, UNBC - ctaan@unbc.ca

• Emma Rossnagel, Research Manager – School of Nursing, UNBC - ctaan@unbc.ca

BCHPCA is sharing this opportunity to support knowledge development and collaboration across the hospice and palliative care sector. We encourage eligible hospice leaders to consider contributing their perspectives to this national research effort.

On March 4, 2026, the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association recently had the privilege of being invited to host a virtual information session for the Band Social Development Workers (BSDWs) from First Nations communities across British Columbia. This session focused on understanding hospice and palliative care and supporting Elders, families, and communities during serious illness and end-of-life.

The session was organized in collaboration with partners at Indigenous Services Canada, whose team supports BSDWs delivering community programs across the province. The conversation was led by representatives from the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association and included contributions from Sarah Cobb, Executive Director of the Vancouver Hospice Society, who shared additional community-based perspectives and insights from the hospice sector. Participants joined from communities throughout Vancouver Island, the Interior, Northern BC, Fraser, and coastal regions, bringing together social development staff, health directors, wellness coordinators, and other community support workers.

Understanding Hospice and Palliative Care in Community Contexts

During the session, BCHPCA shared an overview of hospice and palliative care in British Columbia, including:

• What hospice and palliative care are, and how they support individuals living with serious illness
  
  

• Where services are typically provided, including home-based care, hospitals, long-term care, and hospice residences
  
  

• How care is coordinated through provincial health authorities and community hospice societies
  
  

• Resources available for patients, families, caregivers, and community providers
  
  

The conversation also highlighted how hospice and palliative care services connect with existing First Nations health programs and supports, including work led by the First Nations Health Authority, which partners with communities to provide culturally grounded health and wellness services.

The Important Role of Band Social Development Workers

One of the key themes that emerged from the discussion was the central role BSDWs often play in their communities. Families frequently turn to BSDWs when they are navigating complex and emotional situations such as serious illness, caregiving, or the loss of a loved one.

Participants shared how BSDWs may help families understand available services, connect with health authorities, access social supports, or find grief and bereavement resources. These connections can be especially important in rural and remote communities where navigating health systems can be challenging.

Challenges Highlighted:
Participants also discussed ongoing challenges related to understanding the role of hospice palliative care and how hospice services integrate within First Nations community care systems. There was a clear and urgent need identified for stronger clinical supports in community settings, as well as improved coordination and integration between hospice providers, health authorities, and community services.

A significant concern raised by several participants was the daily per diem fee required for individuals to stay in a hospice residence during end of life. The cost, currently $49.57 per day, was described as a substantial barrier for some Elders and families. Participants noted that having to navigate financial considerations during an already difficult time can add stress and inequity.

The Association continues to advocate on this issue, including raising awareness of financial hardship processes that is available. It was also acknowledged that many hospice societies work to ensure that individuals who are unable to pay are still able to access compassionate end of life care at all times.

Strengthening Connections Across the System

Another important part of the conversation focused on strengthening coordination between community services, First Nations health programs, provincial health authorities, and hospice organizations.

Hospice and palliative care often involves many different parts of the health and social care system working together. By sharing information, building relationships, and creating clearer referral pathways, organizations and communities can help ensure individuals and families receive compassionate and coordinated care throughout their end-of-life journey.

Working Together to Support Elders and Families

The session reinforced the importance of working collaboratively across organizations and communities. When hospice programs, health authorities, First Nations health services, and community workers share knowledge and support one another, it becomes easier to respond to the needs of individuals and families facing some of life’s most difficult moments.

BCHPCA is grateful for the opportunity to learn from the perspectives shared by BSDWs and to better understand the realities communities are navigating across the province. Continuing these conversations and strengthening partnerships is an important step toward improving access to compassionate, culturally respectful hospice and palliative care for all people in British Columbia.

We extend our sincere thanks to the Band Social Development Worker community and our partners for the opportunity to connect and learn together. We look forward to continuing this dialogue in meaningful and action oriented ways.

We also encourage hospice societies, community organizations, and health system partners to reflect on the barriers that First Nations communities and indigenous citizens continue to face in accessing care. There is an important opportunity to work together to better respect community priorities, reduce systemic barriers, and support individuals and families to remain connected to their communities throughout serious illness and end of life.

BCHPCA remains committed to advancing this work through its advocacy, partnerships, and initiatives across the province.

Following the release of British Columbia Budget 2026, our team participated in a timely and insightful webinar hosted by Vantage Point to unpack what the announcements mean for non-profits across the province.

Click here to watch the recording

The session was facilitated by Prairie Chiu, Director of Engagement and Advocacy at Vantage Point, who guided a thoughtful and engaging discussion. Tyler Arnold, Policy and Advocacy Specialist, provided a clear and comprehensive overview of the key highlights from Budget 2026.

Fiscal Overview

Budget 2026 presents an updated deficit of $9.6 billion for 2025–26, $1.6 billion lower than previously forecast, largely due to higher-than-expected corporate and personal income tax revenues and lower spending on refundable tax credits. The fiscal year also reflects a one-time $2.7-billion tobacco settlement, reducing the projected deficit.

Over the three-year fiscal plan, projected deficits are:

• $13.3 billion (2026–27)
  
  

• $12.2 billion (2027–28)
  
  

• $11.4 billion (2028–29)
  
  

While the government emphasized fiscal restraint, it signaled an intention to avoid major cuts to core public services.

Health-Care Investments

Budget 2026 includes $2.8 billion in new health-care funding over three years, including:

• $2.3 billion to increase health-system capacity, including hiring more health-care workers and supporting new and expanded facilities
  
  

• $131 million for intensive mental-health and addictions treatment
  
  

• $34 million annually to expand access to in-vitro fertilization
  
  

• $447 million in federal contributions to support seniors’ health services and long-term care improvements
  
  

• $653 million in federal funding to expand public drug coverage, including diabetes medications and menopausal hormone therapy
  
  

At the same time, the Budget does not introduce significant new structural investments for the non-profit sector. Continued fiscal restraint is expected in the coming years, and there is no new commitment to multi-year, core operating funding, a key advocacy priority for many organizations.

Vantage Point and the BC Non-Profit Network consulted extensively with the sector during pre-budget consultations. Their advocacy efforts were reflected in the Finance Committee’s recommendations supporting stable, multi-year core funding and updated funding formulas to reflect current operational realities. However, these recommendations were not fully realized in this year’s Budget.

Sector Panel Discussion

The webinar also featured a compelling panel discussion with sector leaders:

• Andrew Price, CEO of ViaSport
  
  

• Daljit Gill-Badesha, CEO of AMSSA
  
  

• Jill Atkey, CEO of BC Non-Profit Housing Association
  
  

• Matt Cook-Cantois, Senior Associate – Programs Specialist at New Relationship Trust
  
  

Panelists shared their initial reactions to Budget 2026, discussed how risk and uncertainty are shaping their strategic planning, and reflected on funding impacts for their members and communities. The conversation also explored trends in First Nations support and highlighted the importance of collaboration and solidarity across the non-profit sector during times of fiscal constraint.

How Can Non-Profits Support Each Other?

One of the most meaningful questions posed to the panel was how non-profits can support one another in the coming years, particularly in a context of fiscal restraint and growing community needs.

From a BCHPCA perspective, this question resonates deeply. The hospice and palliative care sector is built on collaboration, between volunteers, community-based organizations, health authorities, and families. Each organization carries unique expertise, lived experience, and regional knowledge. In times of uncertainty, these strengths become some of our most valuable shared assets. Knowledge-sharing, coordinated advocacy, and mutual support are essential.

The one-hour session was incredibly informative and engaging. We extend our sincere thanks to Vantage Point and the panelists for creating space for sector-informed analysis and meaningful reflection on what comes next for non-profits across British Columbia.

Provincial Fiscal Context

Budget 2026 continues to prioritize core public services while managing fiscal pressures.

• Revenue: $85.5 billion
• Total spending: $98.8 billion
• Projected deficit: $13.3 billion

Health care remains the Province’s largest area of spending.

Health Care Investments

• $36.1 billion - Ministry of Health budget for 2026/27
• 41% of total provincial spending goes to health services
• $2.8 billion in additional health funding over three years

Key areas highlighted in the budget include:

• system capacity and workforce support
• mental health and addictions services
• seniors care and complex care services
• continued expansion of primary and community care

The Province is also planning $11.1 billion in health facility investments over the next three years.

Social and Community Supports
Budget 2026 also includes investments that affect families and communities connected to hospice care.

• $6.0 billion - Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction
• $2.71 billion - Ministry of Children and Family Development

Additional investments include:

• $475 million for children and youth with disabilities
• expanded community-based services for families and caregivers
• increased support programs for vulnerable populations

What This Means for Hospice and Community Care
While Budget 2026 includes significant investments in health and social services, community based hospice and palliative care services are not explicitly named in the budget highlights.

Across British Columbia, hospice societies play an essential role in:

• supporting people at end of life
• providing grief and bereavement care
• supporting caregivers and families
• mobilizing trained volunteers
• strengthening compassionate communities

As demand for palliative and end-of-life care continues to grow, conversations about sustainability, access, and collaboration between the health system and community organizations will remain critical.
Why This Conversation Matters

To explore these issues further, BCHPCA is convening a sector discussion:

BC Budget 2026: What It Means for Hospice and Community Care

A panel conversation with hospice leaders and clinicians exploring how the budget translates to service delivery in communities across BC.

Insights from this discussion will help inform BCHPCA’s sector analysis and recommendations for provincial partners.

STAY TUNED FOR THE EVENT

Abstract submissions are now open  for the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) 2026-2027 Virtual Learning Institute! This is your opportunity to share your research, education and community-based programs, and best practices with a national audience of healthcare professionals, educators, system leaders, and advocates working in hospice palliative care.

Please visit the Learning Institute website for the full list of sub-themes and detailed submission guidance. 

Submit your abstract today!  Submissions close March 31, 2026.For full details and submission guidelines, visit https://www.chpca.ca/conference-events/learning-institute-home/abstracts/

The British Columbia Hospice and Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA) extends our heartfelt solidarity to the community of Tumbler Ridge following the devastating events at the local school.

We hold the children, families, educators, first responders, and all those affected in our thoughts during this time of profound grief.

Traumatic loss impacts entire communities. Children, youth, parents, and educators may experience shock, confusion, sadness, anger, or fear in the days and weeks ahead. These responses are natural.

Across British Columbia, hospice societies and community based grief programs offer support to individuals and families navigating loss. While we are not a frontline crisis service, our team can help connect individuals and organizations to local grief and bereavement resources.

We encourage everyone to care for themselves and one another, listen gently, maintain supportive routines for children, limit exposure to distressing media coverage, and seek support when needed.

Grief is not something to carry alone. We stand with Tumbler Ridge, and with all communities facing unimaginable loss.

Contact and Support

If you or someone you know is in need of support or guidance, please reach out to your community hospice society, crisis line or the British Columbia Hospice and Palliative Care Association:

Email: office@bchpca.org

Main Line: (604) 267-7024

Toll Free: 1-(877) 410-6297

Our team can connect you with local grief and bereavement services, child and youth supports, and community resources. Support is available for individuals, families, and organizations navigating the impact of this tragedy.

Newly released data from the Office of the BC Seniors Advocate confirms a widening gap between the growth of British Columbia’s seniors population and the availability of publicly funded long-term care and assisted living beds.

While the population of seniors aged 65 and over has increased by approximately 19% since 2019, long term care capacity has grown by just 5%. The report also notes that the province currently faces a shortfall of more than 2,000 long term care beds, with projected demand rising to 16,000 additional beds by 2035 if no further action is taken.

For hospice societies and community based care providers, these findings reflect what is already being felt on the ground:
more caregivers under strain, more seniors living with complex needs at home, and growing demand for grief, bereavement, navigation, and end of life supports.

Hospice and palliative care services are not long term care, and they should not be treated as a replacement for it. However, hospice societies play a critical role in the broader care ecosystem by supporting people earlier, stabilizing families and caregivers, and reducing unnecessary crisis and acute system use.

As pressure on long term care continues to grow, investment in community based services must be seen as part of a coordinated seniors’ care strategy, not an afterthought. Strengthening hospice, grief, caregiver, and community palliative supports helps bridge gaps, improves quality of life, and ensures seniors are not left without care while waiting for formal placement.

BCHPCA will continue to engage with government, health authorities, and partners across sectors to advocate for a balanced, integrated approach to seniors’ care that recognizes both facility-based care needs and the essential role of community-delivered services.

Read the full Seniors Advocate news release here
View the 2025 Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Directory

Growing Demand for Long Term Care Beds in B.C.

The Office of the Seniors Advocate of British Columbia recently released a comprehensive systemic review titled From Shortfall to Crisis: Growing Demand for Long Term Care Beds in B.C. that examines current and projected demand for publicly funded long term care and assisted living beds across the province. The report highlights that the seniors population in B.C. is growing significantly faster than the expansion of long term care capacity, resulting in increasing waitlists, longer wait times, and greater pressure on families and community supports. It includes detailed data on bed supply, waitlists, and regional disparities, and offers recommendations for strengthening care capacity and supports for older adults. The full report provides valuable context for understanding the broader care landscape in which hospice and community services operate.

Read the full report: From Shortfall to Crisis: Growing Demand for Long-Term Care Beds in B.C

A Policy Position from the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association

Ahead of Budget 2026

As British Columbia prepares for Budget 2026, there is an important conversation underway about health system sustainability, mental health, aging, and community care.

Hospice societies sit at the intersection of all of these.

Across British Columbia, hospice societies deliver community-based hospice palliative care that includes grief and bereavement support, caregiver stabilization, volunteer-led psychosocial care, advance care planning education, and continuity of support before, during, and after end of life.

This is not charity at the margins of the health system.

It is essential community infrastructure.

BC’s own End-of-Life Care Action Plan recognizes that high quality end-of-life care must increasingly support people to remain at home and in community, reducing avoidable hospital and emergency department use while improving coordination across settings.

International evidence reinforces this direction. Community-based palliative care models are associated with increased likelihood of dying at home, reduced symptom burden, and better coordination of care. Economic analyses in Canada show that palliative approaches reduce costly acute utilization and transitions to higher cost settings.

Hospice societies provide a distinct and critical layer of that community capacity.

They do not replace clinical teams.
They complement them.

They address needs that clinical systems alone cannot meet:

• community palliative care
• grief and bereavement across the lifespan
• caregiver burnout prevention
• psychosocial stabilization
• culturally responsive, low-barrier support
• volunteer mobilization that extends system reach

The structural challenge facing hospice societies is not evidence.
It is integration.

Too often, hospice societies are referenced but not formally embedded in policy architecture. Consulted but not consistently resourced. Valued but not structurally positioned within funding pathways and cross ministry mandates.

Yet during the 2026 Select Standing Committee on Finance consultations, hospice societies, grief and bereavement services, and caregiver supports were explicitly named within the Committee’s recommendations. This signals growing recognition that community-based hospice palliative care is foundational to system sustainability.

Recognition, however, must translate into structural alignment.

Hospice societies not only support those during end of life, but across all lifespan, including upstream grief and caregiver stabilization, which reduces downstream mental health crises, workplace disruption, and health system demand.

Hospice societies already provide this prevention layer.

They mobilize thousands of trained speciality trained volunteers, deliver low-barrier psychosocial support in rural and urban communities, and reach more than 120,000 people annually across British Columbia.

At a time of fiscal constraint, community-based delivery is not a luxury.

It is a cost effective strategy.

The path forward does not require new bureaucracy.

It requires structural recognition.

Integration without institutionalization means:

• explicitly naming hospice societies as essential community health and mental health partners
• aligning funding mechanisms with non-clinical palliative functions such as grief and caregiver support
• embedding palliative approaches and hospice  delivery models across health, mental health, seniors, and family policy frameworks
• leveraging provincial coordination to reduce duplication while preserving community governance

British Columbia already has trusted hospice infrastructure.

What is missing is consistent structural alignment.

Hospice societies are system stabilizers.

They are mental health partners.

They are cost containment allies.

As Budget 2026 is released, BCHPCA looks forward to working with government to ensure that hospice palliative care and grief and bereavement services are structurally recognized as essential components of British Columbia’s care system.

Budget 2026, is to be released on Tuesday February 17th. Stay tuned!

BCHPCA Team and Members

We are pleased to share the reopening of the Aitken Community Hospice in the Comox Valley, an important milestone for compassionate, community-based end-of-life care.

Following a period of reduced capacity, hospice beds are being restored, ensuring individuals and families can once again access dignified, home-like care close to home. This reopening reflects the strength and persistence of local leadership, community advocacy, and cross-sector collaboration.

As recently featured on CBC Radio’s On the Island, the story highlights the collective effort of the Comox Valley Hospice Society, its volunteers, staff, community partners, provincial support organizations, and government partners working together toward a shared goal. It is also a reminder of the role elected officials, including MLA Brendan Day, can play in listening to communities and supporting solutions that reflect local needs.

This moment underscores why sustained investment in hospice and palliative care matters. Community-based hospice are not standalone services, they are part of a broader care ecosystem that supports families, reduces pressure on hospitals, and ensures people can receive care in a setting grounded in compassion and dignity.

The reopening of Aitken Community Hospice is more than the return of beds. It is a powerful example of what is possible when communities, hospice societies, provincial partners such as BCHPCA, and government work together, and why continued funding and expansion of hospice palliative care across British Columbia is essential.

Listen to the CBC Radio segment to learn more about this important milestone and the impact of community-based hospice care.

CBC Listen