Serious Illness, End-of-Life & Dying
If you are interested in receiving end-of-life care or palliative care services or know of someone who might be in need of these services, you can contact the home and community care office of your health authority or you can have a health care professional make a referral on your behalf.
If an assessment is required, a health care professional will visit with you to discuss your situation and assess your health care needs, and determine:
- Your eligibility for home and community care services;
- What services best meet your needs and situation;
- How long you need these services for
- The costs, if any, for those services
In addition to the palliative care services provided by your health authority, you can ask to receive Elk Valley & Area Hospice Services which are free of charge.
Friends for Friends helps individuals and families in Fernie who are going through cancer treatment and offers them financial emotional support during this stressful time.
Canadian Virtual Hospice website provides information and support on palliative and end-of-life care, loss, and grief.
Dying With Dignity Canada is the national human-rights charity committed to improving quality of dying, protecting end-of-life rights, and helping Canadians avoid unwanted suffering.
Information on eligibility and how to apply for MAiD in British Columbia.
MAID Family Support Society strives to provide compassionate, lived-experience support and connection to people helping a loved one who is considering or planning for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) or those who are grieving a loss due to MAID.
Learn more about dementia and what supports are available to caregivers and people living with dementia.
Advance Care Planning is a process of thinking about and sharing your wishes for future health and personal care. It can help you tell others what would be important if you were ill and unable to communicate. “My Voice: Expressing My Wishes for Future Care Treatment” available on this website is a book to help you organize your thoughts as you plan for future health decisions and can be completed online. If you reside in British Columbia you should also look at the below website for more options on completing your Advance Care Plan and what legal documents may be required.
If you reside in British Columbia you should also look at the BC Centre or Palliative Care website for more options on completing an Advance Care Plan and for an understanding of what legal documents are required in British Columbia to appoint a Substitute Decision Maker or Representative.
Pharma Care is a publicly funded program that helps B.C. residents with the cost of eligible prescription drugs, certain medical supplies, and specific pharmacy services.
Grief & Bereavement
BC Bereavement Helpline is a non-profit, free, and confidential service that connects the public to grief support services within the province of BC.
Confidential and free, MyGrief.ca helps you to understand and move through your grief. In your own place, at your own pace. Developed by people who have “been there” and grief specialists. Features “real life” stories and experiences. A resource for professionals.
The Compassionate Friends offers support in the grief and trauma which follows the death of a child; no matter the age or cause.
Center for Loss & Life Transition led by grief counselor and educator Dr. Alan Wolfelt, we are an organization dedicated to helping people who are grieving and those who care for them, Perhaps someone you love has died, or you want to help a grieving friend or family member. Or maybe you are a professional or volunteer grief caregiver. Either way, we are here to offer resources and understanding. Many of Dr. Alan Wolfelt books can be accessed at the Fernie Heritage Library.
Caregivers
The Caregivers Network for East Kootenay Seniors recognizes that caring for seniors can be challenging and hard work. Recognizing this need, our not-for profit organization strives to provide support for caregivers of seniors who live in the East Kootenay.
Family Caregiving for People at the End of Life website has been developed and is maintained as a special project under the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. The website contains resources for caregivers such as caregivers’ skills and tools, Discussion forums, Disease-specific information, Government resources, Financial information, Hospice/Palliative Care, Household assistance, Videos, and Webinars.
Family Caregivers of BC supports caregivers by providing access to information, education and supports so that caregivers feel more confident and successful in their important role.
The Family Caregiver Decision Guide grew out of a desire to assist families, who are managing serious life-limiting illness, to live as well as possible. Family caregivers are essential to this process of living well. However, research studies and clinical work have shown that caregivers are often unprepared for their role and lack the necessary education and support. This means that the many decisions that must be made over time can be challenging. The development of this Guide was in response to the need for focused information and decision support. You can also access a printable version of the guide at this link:
Legacy
RecordMeNow provides an opportunity for anyone to leave a lasting message to their loved ones. It is a question prompting, a video-recording application that is available to download free. Volunteers have access to a computer for your use if necessary.