Additional Community Support Tools

• Tools for individuals
• Tools for community groups
• Tools for schools
• Tools for workplaces

Tools for individuals

• Caring Bridge | A website to help people living with an illness communicate with, ask for and receive help from their social network.
• COMPASS for Caregivers | A facilitator-led four-session program created by Caregivers Alberta to help caregivers balance their own well-being with the challenges of caregiving.
• Home Caregiver Support Program | An online, self-directed course from St. John Ambulance and the Order of St. Lazarus to train caregivers of those with serious illnesses. An introductory module explains the course and what palliative care is. Four additional modules address caring for physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs. 
• LEAP Carers | An online, self-directed course from Pallium Canada to provide information and training to people caring for family or friends with a serious illness. Topics include navigating the health care system, advance care planning, how to provide personal care, medication management, communication and self-care strategies.
• Lotsa Helping Hands | An online calendar and communication tool to facilitate community support for individuals and caregivers that need a helping hand in the form of meal delivery, transportation, childcare and other types of help.
• My Collaborative Care Plan | A workbook created at La Trobe University in Australia designed to help those who are sick or caregiving identify practical needs and create a plan to meet them – with the help of their social network and community services.
• MyGrief | A series of self-directed modules created by Canadian Virtual Hospice to help people understand and cope with grief. Optional modules address different types of loss.
• My Tools 4 Care and My Tools 4 Care – In Care | Toolkits created for caregivers of people with dementia who are living in the community or in a care facility, to better understand what to expect and how best to support the person they care for.
• Preparing for the Journey: Caring for Indigenous People Who Are Seriously Ill | A practical guide created at Lakehead University on caring for Indigenous community members with serious illnesses, from engaging in health care planning before a serious illness occurs to caring for someone in the final weeks or days of life.

Tools for community groups

• A Resource Guide for Community Development of Palliative and End-of-Life Care within Alberta | An Alberta Health Services resource that outlines how to start a palliative care society in your community, including information about training, fundraising and logistics.
• Compassionate Communities Toolkit | A suite of resources developed by the BC Centre for Palliative Care to help communities assess their readiness and commitment to build Compassionate Communities.
• Compassionate Community Startup Toolkit | A toolkit from Pallium Canada to help community groups launch Compassionate Community initiatives. Includes presentation materials introducing the concept and a discussion guide to help identify community strengths and gauge support.
• Death Literacy Index | A survey developed by researchers at Western Sydney University to help community groups measure their knowledge and ability to support each other towards the end of life. A Community User Guide provides guidance on how to use the survey and measure the impact of initiatives undertaken.
• Developing Palliative Care Programs in First Nations Communities and Supporting the Development of Palliative Care Programs in First Nations Communities | A set of resources developed by researchers at Lakehead University. Includes a workbook for use by First Nations communities and a guide for outside partners such as health care providers and policymakers to support First Nations in building community capacity to provide palliative care.
• Nav-CARE | A program for training volunteers to support people with declining health to live well and independently for as long as possible. Created by Dr. Wendy Duggleby at the University of Alberta and Dr. Barbara Pesut at the University of British Columbia and run in collaboration with community-based organizations.

Tools for schools

• Grief in my Backpack | A resource developed by Hospice Calgary that equips teachers and community leaders to support grieving students. Modules focus on understanding grief, supporting students, creating compassionate classrooms and developing protocols for responding to a death in the school community.
• KidsGrief.ca | A free online resource developed by Canadian Virtual Hospice to help educators and parents support children when someone in their life is dying or has died.
• Youth Grief | A resource developed by Canadian Virtual Hospice with and for grieving youth to help young people navigate the many aspects of grief, including tips for handling specific situations. Includes extensive video content and an art gallery.

Tools for workplaces

• Compassionate Community Workplace Toolkit | A set of practical resources developed by Pallium Canada to help employers, managers and employees increase awareness and reduce stigma surrounding serious illness, caregiving and grief in the workplace.
• Dementia in the Workplace | A set of resources from the Alzheimer Society of Alberta & Northwest Territories to help Alberta employers and employees learn about the impacts of dementia in the workplace and how to navigate this knowledgeably and compassionately.
• Grieving in the Workplace | A source of information from the Government of Alberta on how grief may have an impact in the workplace, what supports may be available to employees and how to support a grieving coworker.
• Quick Start Implementation Guide: Carer-Friendly Workplace Standard | An easy-to-read starter guide developed by researchers at McMaster University to help managers and HR professionals better understand the demands on employees who are caregivers and provide practical tips on how to better support them in the workplace.
• Work and Care | Resources, training and support from Caregivers Alberta to help employers and managers support caregiver employees in the workplace.