"You matter because you are you, and you matter to the last moment of your life."

~Dame Cicely Saunders, Founder of the modern hospice movement

Hospice Palliative Care

Burnaby Hospice Society volunteers provide emotional support and practical help to people who are facing a life-threatening illness and respite support for those caring for them.

If you are interested in becoming a Hospice Palliative Volunteer please visit the volunteer page.

We can help with...

When volunteers ask you whether or not they can offer you help, sometimes you may not know what they can do to be of assistance. We’ve compiled a list of activities for you to consider.

  • Get out with you to breathe some fresh air
  • Grab coffee or tea for you
  • Talk about anything on your mind
  • Bring you upstairs for any daily events
  • Help you call a phone number
  • Help you heat up some food
  • Help you convey a message to the staff
  • Sit with your loved ones when you rest
  • Watch TV or listen to music with you
  • Read poetry/stories/newspaper to you
  • Play board games or puzzles with you
  • Create memorabilia for your loved ones
  • Therapeutic Touch sessions (select volunteers)
  • Sit with you as a silent presence

We hope our presence can give you comfort and act as a temporary refuge from the turbulent swirls of emotion.

When you feel down, when you feel anxious, when you feel afraid, please know that we are here to walk along this journey with you.

Where we can help...

In-Home

 Visiting in-home volunteers are available for patients and their family at home or in retirement residences and long-term care facilities. 

St. Michaels

Visiting volunteers are available mornings, afternoons and evenings at the Palliative Care Unit in Burnaby Hospital and at St. Michael’s Hospice Centre.

Let's get in touch..

Are you a caregiver?

We recognize the 24-hour a day responsibility of being a caregiver for a loved one. We provide resources for caregivers and referrals to support groups. Our volunteers are available to family members who need a break from the bedside of the loved one, and also provide a compassionate listening ear for caregiver support.

Anticipating an impending loss?

Navigating the end of life journey?

Our Guidebook can help.

 The Guidebook can also be found adjacent to the nurse’s station at St. Michaels.

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