"The end of life deserves as much beauty, care and respect as the beginning."
Palliative care improves the quality of life of patients and that of their families who are facing challenges associated with life-threatening illness, whether physical, psychological, social or spiritual. The quality of life of caregivers improves as well.
Today, on Grief and Bereavement Day 2025 we pause to recognize a feeling that unites us all and ask you to help us close Canada’s grief literacy gap.
The third Tuesday in November marks the annual National Grief and Bereavement Day in Canada. On this day, CHPCA encourages Canadians to engage government and all sectors of Canadian society in a national dialogue to identify and support access to the necessary resources for those living with grief and bereavement.
Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
Get involved this National Grief and Bereavement Day by asking your local elected officials to fund and promote grief literacy programs in Canada:
Find your local representative: Visit the Government of Canada “Find my MP” page (https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en ) or your provincial/municipal website to get the email and phone number of the councillor, MLA/MPP, or MP for your area.
Send a brief, heartfelt message: Customize this template with your name, community, and any recent local examples of grief support gaps. (Try to keep your message under 150 words, clear requests get the fastest response).
Amplify the ask: Share your email or a screenshot of your call on social media with the hashtag #GriefLiteracy and tag your representative and encourage friends, neighbours, and local leaders and businesses to do the same before the end of the day.
ABOUT US
The Newfoundland and Labrador Palliative Care Association (NLPCA) was formed in 1993 as a non-profit volunteer board-based charitable organization with an elected Board of Regional Representatives and individual and honorary membership.
The NLPCA provincial membership now shares joint membership with the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) to advocate for and envision equal access to palliative care programs and services for all patients and families living with or dying from a life-threatening illness and bereavement support to help cope with loss and grief regardless of their location.
FAQ’S
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Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of serious illness. It aims to improve the quality of life for both the patient and their family through comprehensive support, including physical, emotional, and spiritual care.
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Palliative care is available to anyone living with a serious illness, regardless of age, stage of illness, or type of diagnosis. It can be provided alongside curative treatments or as the main focus of care when curative options are no longer effective.
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You can access palliative care services through a doctor or healthcare provider referral. For information on services in your region, contact NL Health Services or your community health care team or practitioner.
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Palliative care and hospice care share similar goals of improving quality of life, but hospice care is typically provided when curative treatments are no longer pursued, usually in the final stages of life. Palliative care, on the other hand, can be received at any stage of a serious illness, even while undergoing treatments aimed at curing the illness.
