This week, the Minister of Health and the Minister of State for Seniors announced the provision of $3 million in funding to the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. The one-time funding is intended to “support the development of community-integrated palliative care models for the health care sector.”
The initiative in question is intended to ensure that palliative care will be available in a broader range of settings; that more health care providers will be trained in palliative care; that more Canadians will have access to palliative care; that more information will be available to Canadians about care at the end of life; and that new integrated care models will help make Canada’s health care system more efficient.
“Community-integrated palliative care models allow end-of-life care to be delivered in a range of settings and by a variety of care providers,” a statement from Health Canada explained, “so that these services are increased in a cost-effective and sustainable way. Health Canada supports Canadian-wide initiatives that raise quality standards for hospice palliative care delivery, support caregivers across settings, and contribute to raising public awareness and knowledge-sharing.”
