National Hospice Palliative Care Week: May 3-9, 2026
National Hospice Palliative Care Week is a time to celebrate and highlight the incredible work being done to provide quality palliative care across the country. It is also a time to call for better access to quality hospice palliative care, for every community, in every setting, The first full week of May marks National Hospice Palliative Care Week in Canada.
2026 Theme: Palliative Care Everywhere: About the Theme
Many people in Canada, along with their caregivers and families, still face significant barriers to accessing a palliative approach to care. These barriers can be linked to age, where they live, their diagnosis, race or ethnicity, unstable housing, and other factors. Too often, people are unable to access palliative care early enough in their illness to fully benefit from the support it offers.
High-quality, comprehensive palliative care supports every part of a person’s life affected by serious illness. This includes respite for caregivers and loved ones, mental health and spiritual support, and a focus on comfort, dignity, and quality of life. It is holistic care that supports the mind, body, spirit, and family, when and where it is needed most.
Every family facing the challenges of a life-limiting illness deserves the best possible care and support. Whether in hospice, at home, in long-term care, or in hospital, palliative care can and should be available in any setting to meet individual needs.
This National Hospice Palliative Care Week, let’s come together to call for equitable access to quality hospice palliative care for every community, everywhere.
For more from: Canadian National Palliative Care Association:
FREE Live Webinar: From Blueprint to Action: How We Can Advance Palliative Care in Canada Together (please register in advance)
Join Daniel Nowoselski, Senior Advocacy Manager, Canadian Cancer Society, and Cheryl Spencer, Interim CEO, Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association on May 7, from 12:00pm to 1:00pm ET for a free webinar.
This webinar will introduce participants to the Blueprint for Action and explore different types of advocacy and government engagement we can take to help move its priorities forward. Drawing on real advocacy experience from national organizations involved in the Coalition, the session will also demystify how government relations work in practice, including who makes key decisions, when engagement can be most effective, and where advocates can have the greatest impact.
Through discussion and examples drawn from current national initiatives, participants will gain practical insight into how advocacy efforts can help improve access to palliative care across Canada.
Where: Zoom Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z1Ac3y2ESlOZaH1-68KX_A
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