What barriers are preventing you from accessing palliative care for yourself? / What barriers prevented you from accessing palliative care for someone you are caring for?

Have you experienced any innovative approaches to providing palliative care?

Early palliative care has been shown to improve quality of life, symptom management and patient satisfaction with care. However, stigma associated with the term "palliative care" may be a barrier to timely referral and could deprive patients and caregivers of the full benefits of palliative care.

Some people think that there is stigma around the term “palliative care”. Have you experienced this? If so, what could be done to reduce the stigma?

April 16th was Advance Care Planning Day 2018!

60% of Canadians think it is important to talk about end of life care, but only 5% have talked to their doctor about it. (Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, What Canadians Say: The Way Forward Survey Report, for The Way Forward initiative, Harris/Decima: 2013)

We are often uncomfortable talking about end of life care issues. But palliative care is about living your life – and living it well - right to the end. You can’t know how or when that will be, but you can learn what may be available to you and share your wishes with your family and community. Creating an advance care plan can help you think about and focus on doing what’s important to you now and in the future.

Have you heard about Advance Care Plans? Do you have one? If so, how did you hear about it? Who raised the subject with you? How did that make you feel? Do you feel confident that your end of life care wishes will be understood and respected?