“When my husband was diagnosed with ALS and immediately deemed palliative, our family entered into a new reality—a frightening and confusing reality in which we had no experience,” says Zinta Erdmanis, a VHA Client and Family Partner.

Stress and a sense of being lost at the start of their journey were common themes expressed by the caregivers on VHA’s Palliative Care Committee and were feelings they hoped to ease for people facing a similar situation.

“The idea was to help others facing a similar palliative diagnosis and help them navigate the incredible amount of information out there,” says Christina Darlington, VHA’s project manager for the digital toolkit. “Caregivers can already feel overwhelmed by the situation, so we wanted a way to make it easier to get relevant information without taking a lot of time or energy sifting through it. Many of the articles are also specifically geared to topics related to palliative care in the home,” Darlington adds.

Launched in December of 2018, VHA’s Online Palliative Toolkit provides relevant resources thoughtfully chosen by caregivers, including:

• Articles on providing palliative care at home
• Support links to community resources and knowledge
• Tips and planning
• Upcoming events and information sessions

Want to learn more? Visit the toolkit at: www.vha.ca/palliative