• Programs and Services

    Hand holding elderly man's hand at Sea to Sky Hospice Society

Here For You & Your Family

Receiving the diagnosis of a life-limiting illness can be an emotional and challenging experience. The Sea to Sky Hospice Society offers a range of free programs and services to help community members live well at home, hospital, in long term care or in the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Sea to Sky Community Hospice unit.

Trained volunteers offer practical and emotional support to both clients and families.

Palliative & Bereavement Support

  • One on One Visiting

    Trained staff and volunteers offer social and emotional support to patients and caregivers. Support can include conversations, outings, letter writing or legacy leaving projects, sharing hobbies and interests. Volunteers may visit individuals at home, in hospital, in long term care or at the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Sea to Sky Community Hospice unit.

  • Bedside Vigil

    Volunteers offer support to patients and families in the final transition of life. Usually arranged in the last 48 hours of life.

  • Bereavement Support

    Trained staff and volunteers offer support for adult grievers and resources for parents or caregivers of young grievers.

    Programs include:

    • Bereavement support groups
    • Courage to Grieve support packages
    • Limited one-on-one counselling
    • Bereavement Walks

    If you or someone you know is in need of bereavement support and you would like more information about the services available, please send an email to info@seatoskyhospicesociety.ca

Dock with chair at end overlooking peaceful lake at sunset.

Alternative Therapies

Trained hospice volunteers can provide the following alternative therapies that may help with pain relief and calming anxieties:

  • Reiki
  • Therapeutic touch to patients or bereaved clients

Squamish General Hospital Oncology Tea Service

Volunteers provide tea and cheer to the Squamish General Hospital Oncology Clinic on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays most weeks.

Infant Loss Kits

Provided in collaboration with the Squamish General Hospital Auxiliary Society, Squamish General Hospital Nurses and sponsored by Mountain Maternity Physicians.

Infant Loss Kits have been made with love in an effort to provide a small layer of support during a difficult time for families.

There is bereavement support available to those that are experiencing grief from the loss of an infant. Please contact us for more information bereavement@seatoskyhospicesociety.ca

Red stone heart in a stone heap - Sea to Sky Hospice Society

Advanced Care Planning

Hospice volunteers can support you with capturing your values around end of life care and planning for discussions with your family, friends and loved ones.

Community Outreach & Education

Hospice staff and volunteers work to support our communities with education, information and resources. Through community discussions such as Grief 101 and Advance Care Planning, individuals can find help and support in facing what can often be very difficult discussions.

Community Resources

Trained Staff also offer support to community organizations by providing education, resources, grief information and debriefing.

Jamie-Lyn Marchant Library

Located in the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Sea to Sky Community Hospice, this library is filled with supportive books and resources.

To view the library online, please click on this link and use the following login information:

Name: Squamish
Password: sqhospice

To search by title, author or tag (topic) – type it in and click “Search Your Books”.

Grandaughter hugging grandmother while they read a book at the Sea to Sky Hospice Society

Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Sea to Sky Community Hospice

We work in collaboration with VCH teams to support patients and families at the hospice unit:

  • Volunteers visit the unit daily, spending time with patients and family members, ensuring comfort items are in supply, playing music, visiting with therapy dogs, helping with family laundry, and anything else that families require to feel supported and cared for during their stay.
  • Staff support the palliative team by attending weekly medical rounds and ensure that supports such as one on one grief counselling or family meetings are available as needed.
  • Volunteers offer an additional layer of support to nursing staff as an extra set of eyes and ears in the unit.
  • With the help of generous donations, the Sea to Sky Hospice Society ensures comfort items are available at the hospice unit for patients and families. These items include kitchen essentials such as coffee, tea and snack items, bathroom necessities such as shampoo, soap, dental hygiene items, laundry items for the family laundry room, games, puzzles, fans and other items that help make the hospice unit feel more like home.

Virtual Tour

View a virtual tour of the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Sea to Sky Community Hospice unit.

Palliative Care Information

Access information about VCH Palliative Care by clicking below.

Referrals

For referral and other information about the Palliative Care Unit at the Sea to Sky Community Hospice, please click below.

Bedroom at Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Sea to Sky Hospice Unit

Squamish Volunteer Drivers

CancerCar was established as a transportation program for people with cancer diagnoses who required transportation to specialists in Whistler, North Shore and Vancouver.  When the  program was discontinued by the Canadian Cancer Society in 2015, a group of volunteers formed the Squamish Volunteer Driver Program, ensuring that CancerCar would continue to serve the Squamish community.

In 2023,  in the absence of appropriate public transportation options , a second service – MediCar– was introduced to meet the transportation needs for people with non-cancer diagnoses, who are  referred to medical specialists in Whistler, North Shore or Vancouver.

Since 2015, The Squamish Volunteer Driver Program  has been sponsored by  the Sea to Sky Hospice Society which has allowed it to continue to function in a non-profit capacity.

The Squamish Volunteer Drivers program is completely volunteer run.  They rely on donations to provide driver mileage reimbursement and to cover administrative costs such as phone lines and the Driver Training\Evaluation Program.

Squamish Volunteer Drivers Dispatch phone lines

For CANCERCAR assistance call 604-390-3331

For MEDICAR assistance call 604-390-3889

Please leave a message and a dispatcher will call you to discuss your needs.

  • 604-390-3331
  • 604-390- 3889
Sea to Sky Hospice Society flower garden

Squamish Volunteer Drivers for Cancer Program

CancerCar was established as a transportation program for people with cancer diagnoses who required transportation to specialists in Whistler, North Shore and Vancouver.  When the  program was discontinued by the Canadian Cancer Society in 2015, a group of volunteers formed the Squamish Volunteer Driver Program, ensuring that CancerCar would continue to serve the Squamish community.

In 2023,  in the absence of appropriate public transportation options , a second service – MediCar– was introduced to meet the transportation needs for people with non-cancer diagnoses, who are  referred to medical specialists in Whistler, North Shore or Vancouver.

Since 2015, The Squamish Volunteer Driver Program  has been sponsored by  the Sea to Sky Hospice Society which has allowed it to continue to function in a non-profit capacity.

The Squamish Volunteer Drivers program is completely volunteer run.  They rely on donations to provide driver mileage reimbursement and to cover administrative costs such as phone lines and the Driver Training\Evaluation Program.

Squamish Volunteer Drivers Dispatch phone lines

For CANCERCAR assistance call 604-390-3331

For MEDICAR assistance call 604-390-3889

Please leave a message and a dispatcher will call you to discuss your needs.

  • 604-390-3331
  • 604-390-3889
Sea to Sky Hospice Society flower garden