Palliative Care

​​​Palliative care is a holistic approach to active and supportive care for patients and their families facing a life-threatening illness. The aim is to prevent and ease suffering, while promoting an excellent quality of life right up until the end of life.

An important objective of palliative care can be relief of pain and other symptoms although palliative care also meets psychological, social, cultural, emotional and spiritual needs of each person and family. Palliative care services are helpful not only when a person is approaching death but also during the earlier stages of an illness.

• Palliative Care Toolkit for Aboriginal Communities This resource toolkit and reference material is meant for First Nations, Métis and Inuit families and communities to help support individuals with cancer who have palliative care needs. These education materials can be used by anyone in the community.

When does palliative care begin?

Palliative care can be provided at any stage of the disease, from diagnosis through survivorship or the end of life.

• Alongside therapies that are intended to cure or modify disease (such as surgery or chemotherapy)
• As the main focus of care for patients and families once curative treatments are no longer effective
• Near the end of life to prepare the person and his or her family for the dying process
• After death, in the form of support for bereaved family and loved ones  

Who benefits from palliative care?

Individuals and families living with life-limiting illnesses benefit from palliative care. Many people who receive palliative care have cancer. Palliative care also helps those living with other diseases such as advanced heart, respiratory and kidney disease, Alzheimer disease, AIDS, ALS and Multiple Sclerosis.

Who provides palliative care?

Healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, allied health professionals and community health service workers can provide palliative care.

Where is palliative care provided in the Toronto Central Region?

In the Toronto Central region, palliative care can be provided in four care settings:

• In the home through Home and Community Care, visiting physician programs, and community volunteer hospice agencies (see End of Life page).
• In a residential hospice with hospice palliative care beds in a free standing facility (Directory and Map of Inpatient Hospice Palliative Care)
• In a palliative care unit within a hospital (Directory and Map of Inpatient Hospice Palliative Care)
• In a long-term care facility

You can find more information about accessing palliative care in our region on the End of Life Page.

How do you refer to palliative care services in the Toronto Central ​Region?

• In the home you refer to:
• home care services through via Home and Community Care,
• visiting physician programs and community volunteer agencies via the Common Referral Form
• To apply for a bed in a residential hospice or palliative care unit you use the Common Referral Form and send this to the corresponding institution.

Common Referral Form

The multi-use Palliative Care Common Referral Form (PC-CRF) should be used when referring a patient for most palliative care-related service in the region. 

Palliative Care Organizations

Visit these organizations for more palliative care tools and education for healthcare professionals, and information for patients, families and caregivers.

• Ontario Palliative Care Network
  The Ontario Palliative Care Network (OPCN) is a partnership of community stakeholders, health service providers and health systems planners formed to develop a coordinated and standardized approach for delivering hospice palliative care services in the province. Their work is person-centred, focused on supporting quality hospice palliative care for all people in Ontario, no matter what their age or illness.
  Learn more about the OPCN:​
  
  • Palliative Care Health Services Delivery Framework
  • Palliative Care Competency Framework
  • Tools to Support Earlier Identification for Palliative Care​​​
    
• Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)
  Cancer Care Ontario is the Ontario government's principal cancer advisor and a division of CCO. Cancer Care Ontario equips health professionals, organizations and policy-makers with the most up-to-date cancer knowledge and tools to prevent cancer and deliver high-quality patient care. Learn more about Cancer Care Ontario's Palliative Care Program and their Palliative Care Tools.
• Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
  A national organization that aims to advance and advocate for quality end-of-life/hospice palliative care in Canada. Website provides: resources for healthcare professionals and caregivers; information about projects and advocacy; a resource commons; a marketplace for purchasing educational materials.
• Hospice Palliative Care Ontario
  A provincial organization that aims to inform policy and promote awareness, education, knowledge transfer and best practices for quality hospice palliative care in Ontario. Website provides: information for families and caregivers; resources for members and professionals; information about Hospice Palliative Care.
• Canadian Virtual Hospice
  Support and personalized information about palliative and end-of-life care to patients, family members, healthcare providers, researchers and educators. Website includes: articles on palliative care topics; discussion forums; upcoming courses and conferences for professionals.
• Pallium Canada
  A national education community-of-practice (CoP) with professional development resources and tools for healthcare providers. Resources include: Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative and End of Life Care (LEAP) program; a CFPC-accredited palliative care course aimed at interprofessional palliative care education; the Pallium Palliative Pocketbook, a peer-reviewed resource guide for clinical practitioners.