Palliative Care

Palliative care prioritizes quality of life for individuals with any type of serious illness.

A serious illness is a: "health condition that carries a high risk of mortality and either negatively impacts a patient's daily function or quality of life or excessively strains the caregiver."

(Ontario's Palliative Care Health Services Delivery Framework)

Palliative Care and End-of-life-Care — Not all Palliative Care is End-of-Life Care.

Quick Poll

I am very comfortable talking about illness and care planning.

It is easier when I have a professional guiding me.

I generally avoid these conversations.

I am not sure.

Palliative Care services offered in North Simcoe

Georgian Bay Cancer Support Centre
Hospice Huronia
Ontario Health at Home
Need more info? Call our North Simcoe Community Helpline 1-844-806-3093

What advice do you have for someone going through this journey? Who helped you?

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The Ontario Palliative Care Network devised 13 recommendations to ensure patients, and their families/caregivers have timely, equitable access to high-quality palliative care and support. They also support health care professionals to be better prepared as well as more confident and satisfied in providing palliative care.

Click hear to learn more.

Placemat for Palliative Care

Earlier recognition of decline leads to earlier anticipation of likely needs, better planning (including Advanced Care Planning), fewer crisis hospital admissions, and care tailored to peoples wishes.

What is Advanced Care Planning? ACP is the process of thinking about what matters most to you in your life and what that means for your health and personal care. ACP helps you share your wishes and preferences with the people who are important to you.

What is an Advanced Care Plan? A verbal or written summary of an adult's wishes or instructions about the kind of care they want or do not want.

Why is it important? ACP is important because it ensure that your healthcare wishes are respected if you're unable to make decisions for yourself. It gives you control over the kind of care you want and takes the pressure off your loved ones from having to guess what you'd prefer in difficult situations. By planning ahead, you help reduce confusion, stress, and disagreements, allowing your family and healthcare providers to honour your choices with confidence. When everyone knows your wishes and preferences, they can help make sure you get the care you want.

Who should do ACP? Everyone should do ACP, not just older people or those with serious illnesses. Unexpected events like accidents or sudden health changes can happen to anyone, regardless of age or health status.

Who can support me with ACP? Primary care providers, nurses, social and support workers, doctors, knowledgeable peers, therapists and trusted advisors can all help you develop your ACP.

Link to Advanced Care Planning workbook .

An SDM is entitled by law to make healthcare decisions on behalf of a person when that person lacks the capacity to make decisions for themselves. An SDM is a designated person authorized to make decisions on behalf of a patient who is unable to make important decisions about their own personal care. This includes choices about health care, medical treatment, nutrition, living arrangements, hygiene, and safety.

An individual can identify an SDM (or more than one), and that decision-maker would be required to sign a legal document called a Power of Attorney for Personal Care. If a person does not select someone to support this task, the law outlines a hierarchy of representatives who can act as their SDM, as follows:

Guardian
Attorney for Personal Care
Representative Appointed by the Consent and Capacity Board (CCB)
Spouse or Partner
Child (over the age of 16 years) or parent or Children's Aid Society (if applicable)
Parent with only right of access
Brother or sister
Any other relative
Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee

Click here to learn more: Who can be an SDM?

What would make palliative care services better in North Simcoe?

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Palliative Care - Did you know?

Palliative Care

Quick Poll

How comfortable do you feel talking about palliative care or end-of-life care?

Palliative Care services offered in North Simcoe

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