Hospice Palliative Care Finds a Place in the Federal Budget 

(March 23, 2011 - Ottawa, ON) The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) welcomes several initiatives announced yesterday in the federal budget, and encourages the government to build on them so that the needs of dying Canadians and their families can be better served.

Contained in the budget was a commitment for one-time funding of $3 million to help support the development of new community-integrated palliative care models. Each year, more than 259,000 Canadians die. But only 2 or 3 out of 10 receive hospice palliative, or end-of-life care. Even fewer receive support to help them and their families cope with grief and bereavement. Building hospice palliative care into community health care services is an important step toward ensuring that all Canadians have the same access to quality end-of-life care, no matter where they live.

"Quality palliative care is the right of every Canadian, yet not every Canadian can access these services at a time when they and their families need it most," said Sharon Baxter, Executive Director of the CHPCA. "This funding will help to ensure that hospice palliative care is available at the community level for those Canadians who are dying, as well as their families. It will also ensure that it is easily accessible as part of the continuum of care."

Canada's population is aging and, combined with increasing numbers of chronic diseases, the demands for hospice palliative care will continue to grow. Seniors make up the fastest-growing age group. In 2003, an estimated 4.6 million Canadians were 65 years of age or older, a number that is expected to double in the next 25 years. By 2041, about one in four Canadians is expected to be 65 or over.

The CHPCA estimates that for every dying Canadian, five other people are affected. Many of these people become caregivers. The CHPCA therefore was pleased with the announcement of a Family Caregiver Tax Credit, as well as the removal of the $10,000 limit on the amount of eligible medical expenses that caregivers can claim for a tax credit.

"More and more Canadians are taking on the role of caregiver for a loved one afflicted with a life-limiting illness," said Wendy Wainwright, President of the CHPCA. "It is crucial that these people receive adequate support, including financial, for the work that they do. Caring for an infirm or dying loved one is already stressful, even without added financial pressures, yet thousands of Canadians every year are expected to cope with these burdens."

The initiatives for caregivers in this budget are a good beginning - We encourage the Government of Canada to increasingly find ways to support caregivers in the future as their contribution grows.

About the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association

The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) is the national voice for hospice palliative care in Canada. It is a bilingual, national charitable non-profit association whose mission is the pursuit of excellence in care for persons approaching death so that the burdens of suffering, loneliness and grief are lessened.

The initiatives for caregivers in this budget are a good beginning - We encourage the Government of Canada to increasingly find ways to support caregivers in the future as their contribution grows.