News

Released: October 1, 2025 by Statistics Canada

A new national study from Statistics Canada, Living with a Life-Limiting Illness: A 2024 Crowdsourced Study of Experiences and Access to Care, offers a rare glimpse into how Canadians living with life-limiting conditions, and their unpaid caregivers, experience care, access, and support.

The study engaged nearly 1,000 participants across the country between October 2024 and March 2025, including people living with advanced cancer, dementia, and neurological diseases, as well as unpaid family and community caregivers. While not statistically representative, the findings provide meaningful insight into lived experiences and highlight ongoing gaps in palliative and end-of-life care.

Among participants, only 27% reported receiving a high level of palliative care, while 30% experienced low levels of support. 80% said that health services were difficult to access outside regular hours, and over half reported complications due to delayed or insufficient care. Pain and symptom management, specialist referrals, and care coordination were among the hardest services to access.

The study also sheds light on the experiences of unpaid caregivers, 89% reported never receiving an assessment of their support needs. The most requested supports were respite care, improved communication with health-care providers, and access to home care or financial assistance.

These findings reinforce what hospice societies across British Columbia see every day: that timely, community-based palliative and bereavement supports are essential to quality of life and to the sustainability of our health system. BCHPCA commends Statistics Canada, Health Canada, CIHI, and the Public Health Agency of Canada for advancing this critical national conversation, so that provinces and territories, in partnership with care providers, can support people where and when it is needed most.

BCHPCA will use this report in our ongoing advocacy to strengthen the integration of hospice palliative care within the health system and to ensure that hospice societies are recognized as equal partners in the continuum of care across communities.

Read the full release from Statistics Canada here:

Living with a Life-Limiting Illness: A 2024 National Crowdsourced Study of Experiences and Access to Care

In recent years, insurance has been a hot topic among our members, with many expressing concerns about rising costs and the lack of funding to offset them. For hospices, insurance isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a critical safeguard against a range of liability risks. As Carlene Forde noted, 'while many small groups assume that a simple liability policy and a basic property package are sufficient...the reality is far more complex'. Forde argues that non-profits often underestimate the breadth and depth of their insurance needs, facing unique challenges such as funding shifts and reduced donations, compounded by rising insurance costs . This complexity arises from the unique challenges hospices face, from ensuring the safety of patients and staff to protecting against potential lawsuits. Without adequate insurance, programs and services simply cannot happen.

The reality is that hospices are facing a perfect storm of rising insurance costs, increasing risks and challenges with funding. According to Hub International's Nonprofit Outlook report, insurance premiums for nonprofits are expected to rise between 7% and 20%. This surge is driven by factors such as social inflation, which refers to the increasing tendency of juries to award larger damages in lawsuits. Additionally, the growing threat of cyberattacks and data breaches has made cyber liability insurance a necessity for many nonprofits, further adding to their financial burden.

How do hospice societies and other nonprofits navigate this "perfect storm"? Unfortunately, there is no Staples "Easy" button for this. Here are a couple of suggestions :

• Form a good relationship with your insurance broker. Ask your broker to provide a detailed breakdown of your policy, including all exclusions and limitations. Also, inquire about potential discounts or risk management strategies that could help lower your premiums.

• Include the necessary insurance costs in project and program grant budgets. When preparing grant proposals, research the average cost of insurance for similar projects and include a line item for insurance expenses. Be prepared to justify this expense to grantors by explaining the importance of protecting the organization and its beneficiaries.

We encourage you to reach out to us via email at adam.webber@bchpca.org or through our online member forum to share your experiences and challenges with insurance. Your insights will help us develop more effective solutions and advocate for your needs.

Links:

Not-for-profits' insurance challenges often misunderstood, says expert | Insurance Business Canada

2024-Outlook-Nonprofit-CAE.pdf

Rise in civil litigation sparks social inflation concerns

Canada ranks below expectations in new global palliative care report

The 2025 World Map of Palliative Care Development, published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, has placed Canada in the “Established” category, 8th in the Americas and 51st globally.
Countries like Uruguay, Costa Rica, Chile, and the U.S. ranked higher under the new WHO framework assessing policy, access to essential medicines, education, research, and community empowerment.

The findings highlight both progress and a warning: while palliative care is embedded in parts of our system, major gaps remain in community-based care, data coordination, policy integration, and sustainable funding, areas where hospice societies play a critical role, like in rural and remote communities.

Hospice societies across BC are already leading the shift toward stronger, community-based care. It’s time for policy and funding to catch up.

As BCHPCA continues to advance the next frontier of hospice palliative care, integrated, community-led, and close to home, we’ll use this global evidence to strengthen our collective call for investment, data coordination, and policy alignment.

Read the study here: FREE REPORT
#HospicePalliativeCare #HealthEquity #CommunityCare #BC #Canada

Cybersecurity knowledge and cyber insurance are top of mind for many and frequently discussed in meetings. Common questions include: How can we best protect our data? How do we keep clients’ personal and private information safe? What steps should we take if our website is hacked or if phishing emails are sent to our contacts?

Navigating the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape can be challenging, and you’re not alone in figuring out where to start.

We recommend speaking with your insurance broker to determine if cyber insurance is appropriate for your organization. Keep in mind that there are specific requirements for cyber insurance eligibility, so it’s important to ensure your organization meets them. There have been notable cases where cyber incidents were not covered due to unmet requirements—for example, the $5 million claim denied to the City of Hamilton due to lack of login security (CBC News article). While this was a significant attack, it highlights the importance of compliance with cyber insurance standards.

On Oct 1, 2025, Imagine Canada is hosting a webinar: From Insights to Action: Cybersecurity for Nonprofits, Stronger Together     Learn more and Register here

To learn more about cybersecurity issues and practical steps to protect the data and personal information you manage, please explore these excellent resources:

Canadian Centre for Cyber Security — The unified source for expert advice, guidance, services, and support on cybersecurity for Canadians.

Get Cyber Safe — A national public awareness campaign providing simple, effective steps Canadians can take to protect themselves online.

Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience — Dedicated to empowering Canada’s diverse nonprofit sector to use data and technology to advance their missions and amplify impact.

Adam Webber, Membership & Education Coordinator

The Report on the Budget 2026 Consultation has now been tabled by the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, following public hearings and written submissions from across British Columbia. 

REPORT PAGE

Earlier this year, BCHPCA shared that we participated in the provincial budget consultation process to ensure the realities of hospice societies and community-based palliative care were part of the conversation. The final report reflects many of the issues hospice societies have long raised, including end-of-life care, grief, bereavement, caregiver support, and the need for stable funding for community-based services.

Hospice care, grief, and bereavement explicitly recognized

Notably, the Committee’s report explicitly acknowledges gaps in grief and bereavement services, including the specialized needs of families experiencing complex loss.

In the Health section of the report, the Committee notes a submission from Canuck Place Children’s Hospice Society, which:

"... called for increased investment to ensure adequate specialized grief and bereavement care for caregivers and siblings experiencing the death of a child, noting that there are gaps in specialized support for neonatal and infant loss, traumatic deaths, and sibling and family support.” (page 46)

This recognition is significant. It reflects what hospice societies across BC consistently report: grief and bereavement support is essential, specialized, and currently under-resourced, particularly for children, families, and caregivers navigating traumatic or complex loss.

A clear recommendation to invest in hospice and bereavement care

Importantly, the Committee goes further by including a direct recommendation to the Province of British Columbia to strengthen hospice and end-of-life care through stable investment. The report recommends that the provincial government:

"...Invest in end-of-life care, including providing core funding for hospice societies and increased funding for palliative care, and increasing access to bereavement, grief, and counselling programs.” (page 52)

This recommendation aligns closely with BCHPCA’s ongoing advocacy to recognize hospice societies as essential community based infrastructure within BC’s health and mental health systems.

Why this matters for hospice societies

Hospice societies deliver low-barrier, relationship centred supports at some of the most vulnerable moments in people’s lives. Yet, as the report underscores, many of these services remain structurally under recognized within funding and policy frameworks, despite their proven impact on families, caregivers, and the broader health system.

The Committee’s acknowledgement of grief, bereavement, and hospice care delivered by hospice societies, alongside a call for core funding, reinforces the importance of moving beyond short term, project based funding toward sustainable, predictable investment.

What comes next

BCHPCA will continue to:

• Track how the Budget 2026 recommendations translate into government decisions and investments in the coming year
• Engage with MLAs, ministries, and partners to highlight the role hospice societies play in health system sustainability, including a Day at the Leg later this fall.
• Advance sector wide work on grief, bereavement, caregiver wellness, and community-based palliative care as part of integrated system solutions

We are grateful to hospice societies, our specialty trained volunteers, and partners whose lived experience, data, and leadership continue to inform this work. Your voices are increasingly reflected in provincial conversations, and they matter!

Read BCHPCA’s June Budget Consultation post

On June 26 and 27, the BC Hospice and Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA) had the privilege of attending the CAT (Community Action Teams) Convening 2025, hosted by Community Action Initiative (CAI), a nonprofit organization transforming mental health and substance use (MHSU) support across British Columbia.

As connectors between grassroots organizations and government, CAI plays a critical role in supporting locally led initiatives and aligning them with broader provincial strategies. BCHPCA was proud to participate and reflect on how our work in grief, bereavement, and hospice-based services contributes to this shared vision of community wellness.

Key Takeaways and Connections to Our Work

1. Expanding the Conversation Beyond the Drug Crisis

While the convening's initial focus was on the toxic drug crisis, discussions increasingly emphasized a broader understanding of substance use, particularly in northern, rural, and Indigenous communities. This shift, backed by the Ministry of Health and local health authorities, resonates with our approach to grief and bereavement: understanding local contexts, meeting people where they are, and supporting holistic, culturally aligned care.

2. Building Strong Relational Foundations

It became clear that community trust and facilitation are crucial for sustainable impact. The example of Nanaimo's local facilitator model, designed to convene community dialogue and chart a new direction, echoes our own interest in supporting hospices as local hubs for healing. As BCHPCA continues to explore collective impact models, we find alignment with efforts to empower local leadership in addressing community grief and loss.

3. Collective Impact as a Framework for Change

One presentation that stood out was on Collective Impact, a model in which community members, organizations, and institutions work together to achieve systems-level change. The work of the Cowichan Community Action Team, shared by Mayor Michelle Staples of Duncan, demonstrated how partnership and coordination can lead to meaningful outcomes. This mirrors our ongoing collaborations within the Grief and Bereavement Funding Strategy Working Group, where we strive to support and amplify locally relevant grief supports.

4. Engaging Communities with Purpose

A session on Community Engagement, supported by Yulu Impact Consultants, introduced a flexible toolkit to help raise awareness, reduce stigma, and tailor communications to community needs. BCHPCA sees communication not just as outreach, but as a means to inspire compassion and normalize conversations around grief, loss, and support.

5. The Data Behind the Crisis

The update from the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) highlighted current trends in drug poisoning events and deaths. While data suggests a decline, it’s important to recognize this may be due to tragic factors, including high death tolls and underreporting. Of particular concern is the disproportionate impact on First Nations communities, with 2024 data showing First Nations people dying at 6.7 times the rate of other BC residents. BCHPCA is committed to ensuring that data-informed service planning remains sensitive to these disparities and supports equity across the province.

6. Understanding the Cost of Substance Use

A powerful presentation by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction emphasized the economic and social burden of substance use in Canada—estimated at $49.1 billion in 2020, largely from productivity losses and healthcare costs. BCHPCA believes that strengthening grief and bereavement services not only promotes healing but also alleviates pressure on other parts of the system, particularly healthcare and mental health services.

7. Youth Grief and Healing: Voices from the Field

A moving panel, “What Support Really Looks Like: Youth Grief and Healing,” revealed deep gaps in grief support for youth. Long waitlists, inconsistent age cutoffs, stigma, and a lack of immediate, accessible care all create barriers. Panelists called for partnerships with culturally competent organizations, drop-in counselling models, and greater attention to the wellness of care providers themselves—themes that align closely with our advocacy for funding, training, and community-rooted services.

Next Steps: Sharing Learnings and Strengthening Community Support

BCHPCA’s participation in CAT Convening 2025 was driven by a commitment to learning from diverse community initiatives and bringing valuable insights back to our hospice societies. Our goal is to ensure that hospice-based grief and bereavement services are connected to broader efforts addressing substance use, mental wellness, and community healing. As we move forward, we are focused on:

• Sharing Key Learnings with Hospice Societies
• Developing Tools for Community Engagement
• Fostering Partnerships for Education and Capacity Building
• Encouraging Dialogue with Hospice Societies

Moving Forward Together

The CAT Convening 2025 reaffirmed the vital need for collaboration across sectors to ensure that grief, substance use, and mental wellness are addressed not in silos, but as interconnected parts of a healthy community. We see strong alignment between the work of CAI, the Ministry of Health, Indigenous organizations, and local CATs with our mission to support hospice-led grief and bereavement services across British Columbia.

As we continue to expand our collective impact and develop sustainable funding strategies, we thank CAI and all the community members, presenters, partners, and organizers who made this convening a space for learning, reflection, and connection. We are honored to contribute to the conversation and look forward to deepening our partnerships to ensure that no one faces grief alone.

Daniel Ordonez Mantilla
BCHPCA Data & Research Coordinator

The BCCPC is pleased to announce the release of a key deliverable from their ongoing Quality Outcomes in Palliative Care project. 

“Essential Outcomes of Palliative Care in BC”, a checklist of nine (9) quality outcomes agreed upon by a wide-ranging province-wide advisory panel, including strong representation from people with lived experience. In addition to the nine outcomes, the report includes validated, reliable tools for measuring these consensus-driven outcomes. 

These Essential Outcomes mark an important step toward standardized, reportable palliative care outcomes for people in BC.

Full Report

2-page Summary

Key themes
The nine Essential Outcomes transcend care settings – whether the person is receiving care at home, in hospital, or with a hospice. The outcomes are grouped to address four key themes: 

• What a person experiences
• How a person and family are cared for
• What a person and family know and share
• How a person gets the care they need. 

Collective voices for an identified need
The project was initiated in response to Health Canada’s Framework on Palliative Care in Canada, which identified developing and standardizing person- and family-reported outcomes and experience measures as one of its four priorities for action. In 2024, BCCPC convened an advisory panel to develop recommendations for measuring palliative care outcomes in BC. 

This collaborative panel was drawn from the BC health system, hospice sector, Family Caregivers of BC, other key community organizations, and most importantly people with lived experience, who made up over 40% of the participants and played a critical role in shaping the outcomes.

The work continues
BCCPC’s work in this field will continue – they are now exploring opportunities to move forward with standardized reporting of palliative care outcomes in BC across settings, including Long Term Care homes.

We’re excited to share some important updates from the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association’s Annual General Meeting this past July. It was a milestone moment for BCHPCA, with new faces joining our Board of Directors and leadership changes that promise to bring renewed energy and ideas to our mission of compassionate hospice care across BC.

Welcoming Our New Board Members

This year, we are proud to introduce four remarkable individuals to our Board team:

Donna Flood, Vice President: Donna’s journey in healthcare is inspiring—spanning over four decades and global impact. From supporting Mother Teresa’s hospice in Calcutta to leading innovative hospice care programs in Prince George and beyond, her leadership is recognized with multiple prestigious awards, including the Queen’s Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals. Donna’s passion for collaboration and sustainability drives her work on behalf of hospice communities.

Shannon Pintwala, Director-At-Large: Founder of Victoria Death Doula, Shannon brings a unique blend of professional leadership and deep personal commitment to end-of-life care. Inspired by her own experience with loss, she offers compassionate, patient-centered support that honors each individual’s journey. Shannon also volunteers with BC Cancer, providing comfort during some of life’s hardest moments.

Christine Colbert, Vancouver Island Regional Director: Christine leads the Comox Valley Hospice Society with dedication, backed by a strong background in primary health and community development. Her experience spans mental health, children’s services, and building collaborative programs that strengthen community care. Outside of work, Christine enjoys time in her garden and cherishing moments with her furry friends.

Debbie Butt, Provincial Regional Director: Debbie’s expertise in communications and fundraising shines through her work with Canuck Place and previous leadership roles with prominent initiatives like the Rick Hansen Leadership Group and Vancouver sports foundations. Her dynamic experience and community connections will be invaluable in advancing BCHPCA’s impact province-wide.

Leadership Changes to Note

Our heartfelt thanks go to Kevin Harter, who completed his term as Board President and now serves as Past President, continuing to provide guidance with his extensive experience. We also welcome Natasha Girard as our new Board President, bringing her passion and commitment to lead BCHPCA into its next phase.

Additionally, we bid a fond farewell to Gretchen Hartley, who retired as both the Vancouver Island Board Representative and from her role with the Vancouver Island Federation of Hospices. We deeply appreciate Gretchen’s years of dedicated service and the positive impact she’s made on hospice care.

What’s Next for BCHPCA?

With the strength of this energized Board, BCHPCA is poised to continue advocating for and supporting hospice palliative care across British Columbia. Together, we will explore innovative approaches, foster collaboration, and, most importantly, serve our communities with compassion and respect.

Please join us in warmly welcoming our new Board members and thanking our outgoing leaders for their invaluable contributions.

Learn more about BCHPCA’s Board members and their inspiring work by visiting our Board of Directors webpage.

Over 70 hospice societies across British Columbia deliver grief and bereavement services that reach more than 120,000 people each year, yet most operate without stable, designated funding. National data shows that 1 in 3 Canadians are navigating significant grief without adequate support, and BC hospices are seeing rising demand, longer waitlists, and growing complexity in the needs of those they serve. In response, BCHPCA has convened a provincial working group to develop a unified funding proposal to government, one that reflects the urgency, value, and community impact of these essential services.

On May 27, our first working group meeting brought together hospice leaders, providers and volunteers from across the province for a powerful discussion about the realities, gaps in funding, and shared priorities. Together, we began building the foundation for a unified provincial ask rooted in the voices and expertise of local communities.

Next Steps:

• The group meets again in late June 2025, expanding the conversation to explore regional delivery models and funding strategies.
• A shared drive of resources, research, and policy alignment has been created to support collaborative work.
• Regular updates will be shared with members, board representatives, and partners throughout the process.

This work is not just about funding, it’s about ensuring the services hospices deliver in community like grief and bereavement supports are seen as core health and mental health services, not charitable add-ons.

Thank you to all the hospice societies participating in this important work. Your leadership is helping shape a more equitable and sustainable future for grief care in BC.

Want to stay in the loop, provide feedback or learn more? Contact daniel.mantilla@bchpca.org or pablita.thomas@bchpca.org

This year, BCHPCA has been focusing on integrating key elements, including evidence, voices, strategy, and heart.

As we prepare to present our first-ever provincial business case for hospice societies and funding ask, I’ve found myself sitting with a deeper truth. One that has emerged not just from the numbers and reports, but from listening, really listening, to hospice providers, volunteers, and the people they walk alongside.

And that truth is this:

The Grief that hospice societies support is not just about death. It’s about the loss of meaning.

When someone loses the person they have shared a home with for years, a relationship, a sense of belonging, or a vision for the future, they are grieving. When that grief is unsupported or unacknowledged, it doesn’t fade away, it festers. It can lead to despair, disconnection, and sometimes harm.

What hospice societies do, quietly, consistently, and often without recognition, is help people rebuild meaning. They create spaces where grief is named, where stories are held, and where life can be reoriented.

"When a caregiver loses the partner they’ve spent decades supporting, the absence of daily purpose can be devastating. Hospice societies quietly step in, holding space for grief, honoring stories, and helping people rebuild meaning in a life forever changed."
- Health care provider in community

That’s not merely a “nice to have.” It represents public health infrastructure, mental health care, and prevention!

I wanted to share a reflection that was brought forward at the Budget 2026 consultations this month. It’s not a formal pitch. It’s a reminder of what’s at stake and what’s possible when we choose to invest in care that's relational, responsive, rooted in community, and, yes, evidence-informed.

“The Absence of Meaning is a Public Health Issue”

When people experience grief, trauma, or chronic disenfranchisement without support, they lose their sense of meaning and purpose….

In today’s world, people aren’t just struggling with symptoms, they’re struggling with meaning. When someone loses a partner, a job, a home, a community, or even a vision of the future, what they’re grieving is not just the event. They’re grieving the loss of who they are and why they matter.

And when that grief is unsupported, unspoken, or unseen, it doesn’t disappear, it festers. It shows up in depression, substance use, suicide, isolation, chronic illness, and even disengagement from work, education, or community life.

That’s why I’m saying: The absence of meaning is a public health issue. It’s what underlies so many of our crises, mental health, toxic drug deaths, aging in isolation, and youth despair.

“Grief-Responsive Care IS System Transformation”

Hospice societies are not only about end-of-life. They are anchors of meaning-making. They help people:

• make sense of what they’re going through,
• reconnect with identity,
• build resilience, and
• take the next step forward, whatever that may be.

This is what grief-responsive care looks like. It is non-clinical, often volunteer-driven, and embedded directly in community. It reaches people where they are, and often prevents their need to enter the formal mental healthcare system.

And that’s what makes it system-transforming. It reduces crisis interventions, delays deterioration, and brings relief to an overwhelmed health system at a fraction of current healthcare costs.

If we fund grief-responsive, meaning-restoring supports, such as those delivered by BC’s 70+ hospice societies, we are not just being compassionate; we are being fiscally responsible.

We are investing in the emotional infrastructure of this province.

We are addressing mental health/mental wellness at its roots, not at the ER doors.

Your Perspective - Grief, Meaning, and Why It Matters Now