Individuals and Families

  • Palliative Talks: The Palliative Care Podcast Now Available!

    Host Kath Murray draws out practical tips and inspiring stories from palliative care experts in the Palliative Talks podcast.  Guests share meaningful, engaging and useful information for integrating palliative care and a palliative approach to care, to support front-line care providers to make a big difference in the lives of those they care for, and for themselves and their care teams. Listen or watch now!

  • Exploring older people’s end-of-life care preferences over time

    End-of-life care can involve complex decisions, and patients’ preferences are particularly important. Advance care planning is a process that enables individuals to define goals and preferences for future medical treatment and care, discuss these with family and healthcare providers, and record and review these preferences if appropriate. However, preferences are Continue reading →

  • Celebrating Hospice Palliative Care Champions on International Women’s Day

    International Women’s Day (IWD), celebrated annually on March 8, honors the achievements of women across all aspects of life – social, economic, cultural, and political. In honour of International Women’s Day we at Hospice Palliative Care Ontario want to celebrate and highlight a few of the champions of hospice palliative care Continue reading →

  • Quality of Virtual vs. In-Person Outpatient Palliative Care: Disparities by Language and Race

    Nouri and colleagues (2025) conducted a multisite study of 2684 outpatient palliative care patients to examine the association between virtual and in-person visit type and screening for psychosocial, spiritual, and goals of care needs and to assess differences by language and race. The authors identified that there were no differences Continue reading →

  • Equity of Access to Palliative Care: A Scoping Review

    There are many inequities within palliative care, hospice care, and end-of-life care. The scoping review by Sítima, Galhardo-Branco, and Reis-Pina (2024) examines these inequities for people with chronic, progressive, life-threatening, or limiting diseases. The review explored the primary contributors, key barriers to achieving equitable access, and essential recommendations to achieve Continue reading →

  • Introducing HPCO’s New Mount Pleasant Group Equity in Action Award

    Hospice Palliative Care Ontario, with the support of Mount Pleasant Group, is proud to announce the creation of the Mount Pleasant Group Equity in Action Award. This award acknowledges initiatives that improve access to hospice palliative care in equity-deserving communities across Ontario. “We are thrilled to introduce the Mount Pleasant Continue reading →

  • National Grief and Bereavement Day and Children’s Grief Awareness Day 2024

    Grief is a universal experience that impacts everyone differently. For many, the loss of a loved one can lead to feelings of isolation, confusion and heartache. Recognizing this, November is a month to promote understanding, provide support and encourage open conversations about loss through National Grief and Bereavement Day on Continue reading →

  • Self-care Towards the End of Life: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis on Access, Quality and Cost

    According to the World Health Organization, self-care is the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider. Self-care at end of life is under-researched. Existing studies on self-care are often Continue reading →

  • Experiences and Access of Palliative and End of Life Care for Older People from Minority Ethnic Groups: A Scoping Review

    There are many inequities and barriers that exist in palliative care and end of life care for minority ethnic groups such as reported poorer quality of care and access to pain management. But, it is unclear how these barriers and inequalities differ across minority ethnic groups in different countries, and Continue reading →

  • ‘Just a Simple Sausage Sandwich’: The Significance of Sensory Care Practices and Hidden Carers in the Hospice

    Dying and suffering are considered relational experiences within sociology and these experiences are rooted in social relations as well as wider social and cultural structures. Settings of end-of-life care are filled with many sensory and emotional engagements that is often hared between persons in a multidirectional care entanglement. Richardson (2024) Continue reading →