Thank you to Wellspring Niagara for the invitation to present “Demystifying Palliative Care: Exploring a Wrap-Around Approach to Quality of Life”.

It is important to acknowledge the barriers exist - to education, services, funding & resources.

Did you know that Palliative Care is:

• Appropriate for any person & or family living with, or at risk of developing, a complex illness due to any diagnosis, with any prognosis, regardless of age, & at any time they have unmet expectations & or needs, and are prepared to accept care

• May complement & enhance disease-modifying therapy, OR it may become the total focus of care

• Most effectively delivered by an interprofessional team who are both knowledgeable & skilled in all aspects of the caring process related to their discipline

• Treats all active issues & prevents new issues from occurring

• Addresses physical, psychological, social, spiritual and practical issues, & their associated expectations, needs, hopes & fears

• Prepares for & addresses self-determined life closure & the dying process;

• Assists in coping with loss & grief throughout the illness & into bereavement

Yet SO many barriers exist, including:

• Few Canadians (15%) have EARLY access to Palliative Care

• Palliative Care provided during admission to hospital was unplanned or through an emergency department 80% of the time

• 62% of Canadians who received Palliative Care did so in an acute care hospital in their LAST month of life

• Palliative Care is a patchwork of uncoordinated services

• Palliative & end-of-life care remain underfunded - receiving only ~1% of the overall investment in cancer research

• Mandatory education should be required for ALL healthcare providers due to the team-based nature of high-quality palliative care, including culturally safe palliative care, grief & bereavement supports

• Structurally vulnerable & marginalized communities including: Unhoused people, Indigenous communities, non-English speaking patients, young patients & 2SLGBTQ+ individuals & families face additional barriers to care resulting in inequitable access.

It is essential that we address barriers and stigma surrounding Palliative Care as this impacts access to care - for anyone facing a complex illness (curative or life-limiting).