End-of-Life
End-of-life care is when teams of people, like health care professionals, support people who are very sick and near the end of their lives. They make sure the person gets their wishes met, are not in pain, and provide support to caregivers as well.
This sections includes resources for end-of-life care, including services and teams that help with these important needs.
BC Hospice Palliative Care Association
The BC Hospice Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA) has been representing individuals and organizations committed to promoting and delivering hospice/palliative care to British Columbians since 1986. Its members provide a broad range of services across the province to people who are dying and to their loved ones who are grieving.
Learn more about the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association here.
Creating a book of memories
A book of memories commemorates the death of a loved one and highlights the importance of their relationship to survivors. For people with developmental disabilities, creating a book of memories may be a concrete way to help remember deceased loved ones. Working on the book with a support person provides a concrete time for memories and recollection.
Learn about creating a book of memories here.
End-of-Life-Care
The B.C. Government’s website explains how end-of-life care focuses on comfort and quality of life for people nearing the end of their lives. It talks about services like pain management, psychological support and access to medical supplies, which can be provided at home, in hospice or in long-term care.
Learn more about End-of-Life-Care in B.C. here.
End of Life Doula Association of Canada
This association supports people to access an end-of-life doula in their community.
An end-of-life doula is someone who helps people and their families during the time when someone is dying. They provide emotional support, help with practical needs and make sure the person’s wishes for their end-of-life care are respected.
Learn more about the End of Life Doula Association of Canada here.
Expected / Planned Home Deaths
Gone too Soon: Navigating grief and loss as a result of substance use
For some people, their instinctive response to pain and loss is to isolate themselves. Others may find themselves feeling isolated due to the stigma associated with drug use and the responses they receive when they talk about having lost a loved one to substance use-related harms such as overdose. You don’t have to grieve alone and may find it very helpful to talk to a professional or to others who have experienced similar losses.
Read the online handbook Gone too Soon: Navigating grief and loss as a result of substance use here.
My Grief - Learning Modules
Losing someone can be very challenging. This website provides access to helpful learning modules with steps to move through the grief.
Visit: MyGrief.ca
No Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Form
A do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order is a legal document. It means a person has decided not to have cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) attempted on them if their heart or breathing stops.
Anyone who changes their wishes about their no CPR preference, should inform their doctor, nurse practitioner or care facility nurse, tear up the No CPR form, and contact MedicAlert if they are enrolled with them for a No CPR bracelet or necklet.
Find the No Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Form here.
Video: Individuals with intellectual disabilities experience many different kinds of losses