The in-patient Palliative Care Unit provides expert end-of-life care to people experiencing life-threatening illness, within an environment that promotes clinical excellence, education, and research. Our Palliative Care Program focuses on patient and family-driven decision-making to maintain comfort, quality of life, spirituality, autonomy, and dignity of each dying person while supporting families through this difficult period and in bereavement.
Palliative care services are directed to patients and their families/circle of supporters and respects that everyone approaches death from their own unique perspective based upon their individual values, spiritual beliefs, cultural roots, family dynamics and life experiences. Palliative care is active care which focuses on maintaining the quality of life, comfort, autonomy and dignity of each patient through the prevention, assessment and management of potentially distressing symptoms.
Palliative care can be provided in all phases of illness, from early in the course of illness to bereavement. It is recommended that patients begin receiving palliative care support as early as possible, even at the time of diagnosis.
Care We Provide
Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life for people living with serious illness, through the prevention & relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain, other symptoms including physical, psychosocial and/or spiritual
The focus of care may change with the addition or continuation of some treatments and may mean stopping other forms of treatment.
At HHS we have a number of palliative care resources to support our patients, families, staff and physicians with.
Eligibility & Referrals
Any individual in a patient’s care, who has obtained appropriate patient / substitute decision maker consent, may make a referral:
- Family Physician
- Specialist Physician
- Case Manager or community based health care professionals
- Health care professionals from Hospital or Long Term Care
- Family member or friend
- Self-referral
Click here to view more information about eligibility and referrals.
Urgent admissions from home to the St. Peter’s Palliative Care Program can usually be arranged within 48 hours following a referral.
Resources for Families
Welcome booklet coming soon.
