Additional Community Support Tools

• Tools for community groups
• Tools for workplaces
• Tools for health care organizations
• Tools for individuals

Tools for community groups

• A Resource Guide for Community Development of Palliative and End-of-Life Care within Alberta | Interested in starting a palliative care society in your community? This resource developed by Alberta Health Services provides important information about how to get started, including information about training, fundraising and logistics.
• Atlas CareMap Community Workshop Toolkit | A toolkit from Pallium Canada that contains everything needed to run workshops that explain why and how to make a Care Map – a practical way to coordinate support for those who are sick as well as those who care for them.
• Compassionate Communities Toolkit | A suite of resources developed by the BC Centre for Palliative Care to help communities assess their level of readiness and commitment, then undertake action planning to build more 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 to take action and to measure the impact of initiatives undertaken.

Tools for workplaces

• Compassionate Community Workplace Toolkit | 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.
• Quick Start Implementation Guide: Carer-Friendly Workplace Standard | 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.

Tools for health care organizations

• 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 policy makers to support First Nations in building community capacity to provide palliative care.
• Nav-CARE | 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, this program trains volunteers to support people with declining health to live as well and independently as long as possible.

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 course from St. John Ambulance and the Order of St. Lazarus to train caregivers of those with life-limiting illnesses. An introductory module explains the course and what palliative care is. Four additional modules address caring for physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs. 
• Lotsa Helping Hands | An online calendar and communication tool to facilitate community support for individuals and caregivers that need a helping hand.
• 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. Focuses on meeting daily needs, staying socially connected and scheduling fun activities to lift spirits.
• 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 to support Indigenous communities in caring for 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.