Palliative care goes beyond end-of-life-care. It focuses on quality of life and supports for people living with serious illness, their caregivers and those closest to them.
Health Canada, with support from key stakeholders, has launched a campaign to help raise awareness of palliative care and grief, including the benefits of introducing a palliative approach to care early in the illness journey. The campaign includes sharing stories from people in Canada who have accessed palliative care services. Learn about their experiences below.
Meet Guneet. She cares for her grandmother who has multiple illnesses that are ongoing and long lasting. Palliative care helped improve her grandmother’s health and quality of life.
Meet Mary Lee. Some days, she needs help getting dressed, and other days she is full of energy. As much as her health fluctuates, so does her care.
Meet Mike. He is living with ALS. Palliative care provides the assurance that each day, he has what he needs to live the best life he can.
Meet Biba. The stress and anxiety of caring for her son who lives with a chronic illness was having an impact on her health. By recognizing that she was going through a grieving process, a weight was lifted off her shoulders.
Meet Ismael. He lives with a chronic illness that causes pain and fatigue. Palliative care provides him with long-term management and psychosocial support.
Meet Alex. Palliative care has helped him regain control of his life and introduced him to art therapy, which allows him to express his emotions.
To access more campaign material, please visit our Awareness tools page.
Written by Health Canada
Leave a Reply