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 The
Erie St. Clair End-of-Life Care Network enables the
shared expertise, experience and resources of formal
health care provicers across the region, working towards
a high quality, collaborative and consistent continuum
of care
What is Hospice Palliative Care?HPC provides physical, psychological, social, spiritual and practical support to people living with progressive, life-threatening illnesses and their loved ones. Q & A |
What is HPC?Adapted, with permission, from Southwest EOLCN Hospice palliative care is a type of health care that provides physical, psychological, social, spiritual and practical support to people living with progressive, life-threatening illness and their loved ones. Care teams include physicians, nurses, personal support workers, social workers, spiritual care providers, and allied health professionals - volunteers, friends and family. HPC may be provided at home, in hospitals, in nursing homes or in free-standing hospices. It is most effectively delivered by an interdisciplinary team of health care providers. HPC helps make a very difficult life journey manageable and meaningful for people facing death as well as their loved ones. HPC Q & AIs HPC only available at the time of death?HPC is available to the person and family at any time during the course of the illness and during bereavement. Whether the treatment is aimed at cure or maintaining the best possible quality of life, HPC expertise can help. Accessing HPC at the time of diagnosis or when a prognosis is confirmed allows the person and family to plan for future needs. It allows time to think and talk about options and choices, to consult with loved ones and make plans, which will support the person through the course of his or her illness. HPC is never static. It is always changing as the person’s needs and expectations change. The very heart of HPC is “living richly within the limits of one’s disease.” Doesn’t HPC take away hope?The purpose of HPC is not to diminish hope but to refocus it. The hope for cure might shift to the hope for the management of symptoms or the presence of family and the health care team. Hope may mean a pain-free day, a sense of security, of love, of not being abandoned, or a wedding or a birth to attend in the near future. Is there a difference between palliative care, hospice care, and End-of-Life care?In Canada, palliative care and hospice care share the same principles. While palliative care programs developed primarily within larger health care institutions, hospice care developed within the community as free-standing, primarily volunteer programs. The term HPC was coined to recognize the convergence of HPC into one movement. End-of-Life care refers specifically to services provided to patients who are dying from an advanced life-threatening illness. Although the Erie St. Clair End-of-Life Care Network has a focus on End-of-Life care, it also promotes the general principles of HPC including the importance of accessing HPC services as early as possible for maximum benefit. What kinds of services are provided by HPC?HPC services may vary from place to place and are usually flexible in nature but may include:
Does a person have a say in what kind of treatment and care he / she would prefer?Yes. Regardless of the situation, individuals are able to make choices about the treatment and care they wish to receive. They should discuss these choices with their health care providers and their loved ones. Examples of questions to consider include:
For more information, consult A Guide to Advance Care Planning (PDF), a document available on-line through the Ontario government. Although the document makes reference to seniors and the provincial Strategy for Alzheimer Disease, the information it provides is relevant to everyone. What do I need to consider before taking on the commitment of primary caregiver?Living Lessons: A Guide for Caregivers (produced by the Canadian HPC Association with the support of the GlaxoSmithKline Foundation) suggests that you ask yourself the following questions:
How do I care for a loved one facing a progressive, life-threatening 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. When you contact the Erie St. Clair CCAC, be sure to inquire about volunteer support and respite care to give you a much needed break. Where do people receive HPC services?
Many of these services are covered by government funding or volunteers. Some are available through private agencies. To better understand these services, contact your local CCAC. How do I access HPC?A good place to start is with your local CCAC. with its mandate for
providing information and referral for a broad range of health services,
not just those in the home. CCAC staff can provide you with guidance
on accessing services you may require. |
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