After welcoming 10 communities across seven provinces to participate in the first cohort of Improving Equity in Access to Palliative Care in 2022, Healthcare Excellence Canada (HEC) and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (the Partnership) are inviting additional communities to join the collaborative. Expressions of interest are due by September 15 and full applications are due by October 25, 2023.
This collaborative provides funding and support to help communities implement leading and innovative practices to help people experiencing homelessness or vulnerable housing access palliative care when they need it most.
People experiencing homelessness or vulnerable housing have unequal access to safe, high-quality healthcare. They often experience worse health outcomes compared to the general population, with substantially greater risk of disease, morbidity and death. While many current models of palliative care don’t consider the unique challenges faced by this population, innovative models are helping to improve equity in access to this type of care.
“People with serious illness or approaching the end of life deserve the best quality of care and support,” said the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health. “I encourage communities from across Canada to join the collaborative program, led by Healthcare Excellence Canada and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer to help improve palliative care services so that everyone, including people experiencing homelessness or vulnerable housing can receive safe, timely, appropriate care in the place of their choosing.”
Innovative models include co-developing services with people with lived and living experience, providing care where people are (including in shelters or on the street) and addressing challenges to accessing palliative care in traditional healthcare settings.
“Improving Equity in Access to Palliative Care highlights innovative palliative care models for people experiencing homelessness or vulnerable housing across the country and helps extend their reach so more people can benefit,” said Jennifer Zelmer, President and CEO of Healthcare Excellence Canada. “Expanding this collaborative to additional communities will help more people get the safe, high-quality care they deserve, when they need it most.”
Participating communities will:
- Receive funding of up to $100,000 over two years
- Participate in learning and networking opportunities with peers, experts and the first cohort
- Build capabilities to implement, measure and evaluate palliative approaches to care
Throughout the program, participating communities will create and support meaningful partnerships with people with lived and living experience of homelessness or vulnerable housing, as well as First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
“Expanding the Improving Equity in Access to Palliative Care initiative fills a critical gap and supports new, holistic approaches to care that will improve quality of care and outcomes for people who are unhoused or vulnerably housed,” said Dr. Craig Earle, CEO of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. “This innovative and collaborative program represents a much-needed paradigm shift in how equitable health care and community care must be implemented for the most vulnerable among us, across Canada.”
The second cohort will run from April 2024 to March 2026 and support up to 10 additional communities across Canada.
Communities applying to join the second cohort must apply as a group of at least two organizations working together to improve access to palliative approaches to care for this population, such as a social program, shelter/housing facility, community health centre or hospice.
First Nations, Inuit, Métis or urban Indigenous organizations that work with people experiencing homelessness or vulnerable housing and would like to support better access to palliative care are encouraged to apply.
Improving Equity in Access to Palliative Care is part of HEC’s work to spread innovations that bring care into community and the Partnership’s work to support innovative models of care that improve access to palliative care. It also aligns with the Federal Action Plan on Palliative Care, which highlights the importance of improving access to palliative care for underserved populations, including access to culturally safe and appropriate care.
Apply to join Improving Equity in Access to Palliative Care
Join people across Canada committed to creating measurable improvement in access to palliative approaches to care for people experiencing homelessness or vulnerable housing:
- Download the call for applications.
- Submit the expression of interest form by September 15, 2023 to receive the application form.
- Full applications are due on October 25, 2023.
