At Canadian Virtual Hospice, we recognize the value of peer-to-peer sharing. Patients, caregivers, family and friends know things — about themselves, about each other, about treatments, about choices — and they want to share what they know to help other people. By sharing about living with a life-limiting illness, caring for someone and the losses you experience, together we build a collective knowledge and community of support.

Why we moderate

Virtual Hospice is committed to moderating our Discussion Forums to ensure our community space is:

• safe,
• supportive,
• inclusive, and
• useful.

We monitor the messages posted by community members to check for information that could be misleading or harmful. We also watch for anyone abusing the conditions outlined in the Discussion Guidelines and Legal Notices (Terms of Use). We do not edit or remove messages or ban members without good reason.

Views expressed in this community are solely the views of the members and do not represent professional recommendations, policy or advice of the Canadian Virtual Hospice.

The messages you post show up right away. We don’t screen them before they go live. While we monitor all posts, we also rely on our members to tell us about any inappropriate content or behaviour. Moderating this way means that we can keep the community running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so that support is available when you need it.

If you see a post that you think is inappropriate, please report it immediately. Simply click the “Report this Post” link at the bottom of the message or email us.

Please remember that these discussions are public and the content can be found via internet search engines. This means our community can be found by other people in need of support and information. However, for your safety and privacy, we strongly advise you not to post personal information such as phone numbers, street addresses, email addresses, social insurance numbers or any other private information.

All information shared by members on the Discussion Forums, such as messages, images, advice, URLs, and any other material, is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the forums.

If you have any questions or concerns about our moderation, please email us.

• Discussion Forums for sharing with other caregivers, patients, people dealing with loss.

• Ask a Professional to ask our palliative care team questions confidentially.

• Asked & Answered for answers to some of the more commonly asked questions that our clinical team have answered.

• Topics for articles on subjects and issues many of us encounter along the way.

• The Gallery of videos from patients, caregivers, professionals and more offering stories and knowledge.