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What is hospice palliative care?
Hospice palliative care provides physical, psychological, social, spiritual and practical
support to people living with life-threatening illness and to their loved ones. Care
teams include physicians, volunteers, nurses, spiritual counselors, friends and family.
It can be provided at home, in hospitals, nursing homes or freestanding hospice facilities.
Hospice palliative care helps make a very difficult life passage both manageable and
meaningful for people facing death as well as for their loved ones. |
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What kinds of services are provided by hospice palliative care?
Hospice palliative services may vary from place to place and are usually flexible
in nature but may include:
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Expert medical care to minimize pain and other symptoms |
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Planning with loved ones for a team approach to care |
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Emotional support for all members of the family |
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Spiritual support for people of all faiths and beliefs |
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Coordination of at-home nursing care for aid with injections, dressing changes and
other health services |
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Arranging of homemaking and physical support |
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Trained volunteers to visit with clients and provide emotional support |
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Telephone counseling in crisis situations |
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Respite care, to give at-home caregivers a break |
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Sympathetic listeners who are not afraid to hear about dying |
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Ongoing bereavement support after the death of a loved one |
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Where can I find hospice palliative care in my area?
Hospice palliative care is offered in a variety of places including hospitals, at home, nursing homes and freestanding hospice facilities. Each local community may differ in available resources. Ask your doctor, hospital discharge planner or local homecare organization for a local referral. You may find information in the yellow pages, by visiting the CHPCA On-Line Directory of Hospice Palliative Care Programs and Services or by accessing the provincial contact within this web site. |
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Who do I contact for information on programs and services?
You may wish to begin by speaking to your family physician or specialist. Your homecare nurse or local homecare organization will also prove helpful, as will the local hospital discharge planner, social worker or spiritual counselor. You will find the CHPCA On-line Directory of Hospice Palliative Care Programs and Services as well as provincial hospice palliative care contacts and health organizations we have listed under "Groups that can Help" useful starting points. |
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How do I care for a loved one facing terminal illness?
As a caregiver, you play an extremely significant role in ensuring both physical and emotional well-being at the end of your loved one's life. It is important that you, your loved one, and your loved one's health care provider talk about what quality of life means and plan together to achieve this. You will need to consider your loved one's care needs, your own ability to provide care in a home or hospital setting, what support services are available and accessible, and availability of home care, hospital care or hospice facilities in your local area. Once you have made the necessary contacts, be sure to inquire about volunteer support and respite care to give you a much needed break. |
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Where can I get support and counseling for me and my family?
Begin by asking your health care provider to refer you to an appropriate counseling
or bereavement service. Your local hospice palliative program may offer such services;
alternatively, a local clergy person, social worker or funeral director may also provide
or be aware of counseling services. Some of these same programs may have a bereavement
coordinator or know of a grief support group. Many hospitals and hospices offer grief
support for up to one year following the death of a loved one. |
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Is hospice palliative care only available at the time of death?
It is helpful to learn about hospice palliative care at the time of diagnosis or when
a prognosis is confirmed. This helps the patient and family to plan for future needs.
This allows for time to think and talk about options and choices, to consult with
loved ones and make plans, which will support you through the course of your illness.
Hospice palliative care services such as pain management, symptom control, respite
and caregiver support help to improve your quality of life and should be accessed
early. |
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Where can I get practical support such as financial aid or legal counsel?
Speak to your health care provider to determine which medical expenses are covered
by provincial health insurance or private health insurance plans and those that you
may have to pay for directly. In some communities, there may be charitable organizations
that can provide financial assistance.
The best person to provide legal advice is a lawyer. End of life planning may include
a will, power of attorney, advance directives, "do not resuscitate" (also known as
DNR) orders and more. You may also wish to discuss legal issues with your health care
team and your loved ones. |
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Does a patient have a say in what kind of treatment and care they would prefer?
Yes. You, your health care provider and your loved ones need to talk about the various
choices related to treatment and care to which you have access and the implications
of such interventions. For example, do the treatments have side effects? Are there
costs involved? Who pays? What are the probable outcomes? Does it require hospitalization?
Hospice palliative care is about options – choosing the kind of skilled, competent
care that meets an individual’s particular needs and takes into account his or her
social and family situation. It is about choice, teamwork, care of the whole person,
comfort, compassion, communication and quality of life. |
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When was the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) formed?
The Canadian Palliative Care Association was formed in 1991 and is the national voice
for hospice palliative care in Canada. It is a national charitable not-for-profit
association whose mission is to support hospice palliative care through support of
research, education, training, advocacy and heightened public awareness. |
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What is GlaxoSmithKline’s involvement with hospice palliative care?
In January 1997, the Canadian employees of GlaxoSmithKline Inc. voted to make a substantial,
long-term commitment to one societal cause. Through an in-depth selection process,
hospice palliative care was chosen as the Canadian corporation’s charitable cause-of-choice.
The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation is committed to making a positive difference to the
quality of life of Canadians.
Through a national collaborative program with the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association called Living Lessons®, The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation aimed to increase awareness of hospice palliative care needs and services within Canada and is working to create a public and policy environment that recognizes and supports end-of-life care as an integral component of Canada's health care system.
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Copyright © 2006 GlaxoSmithKline Inc.
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