Palliative Care
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and families facing life-limiting illnesses. This approach covers all stages of a life-limiting illness. It starts with diagnosis, through the disease journey and includes the dying process. It also supports families during bereavement.
This approach is meant to prevent and relieve suffering, whether physical, psychosocial, or spiritual.
Palliative care:
- provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms.
- affirms life and regards dying as a normal process.
- intends neither to hasten nor postpone death.
- integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care.
- offers a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death.
- offers a support system to help the family cope during a patient’s illness and their own bereavement.
- uses a team approach to address the needs of patients and their families, including bereavement counselling, if indicated.
- enhances quality of life and may also positively influence the course of illness.
- is applicable early in the course of illness, in conjunction with other therapies that are intended to prolong life, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. It includes investigations needed to better understand and manage distressing clinical complications.
Myths
Palliative care is often misunderstood. Here are some common misconceptions as identified by Canadian Virtual Hospice in 10 Myths About Palliative Care:
| Myth: | Palliative care is only for end-of-life care. |
| Fact: | Palliative care is an approach for all stages of a life limiting illness from diagnosis. It can occur alongside treatment and throughout the disease journey, as well as through the dying process and bereavement for family. |
| Myth: | Palliative care makes death occur sooner. |
| Fact: | Palliative care does not make death occur sooner. It helps improve comfort and quality of life from diagnosis until death. |
| Myth: | Palliative care is only for people dying of cancer. |
| Fact: | Palliative care can benefit people who have been diagnosed with any illness that may shorten life. Palliative care can also benefit their families and friends. |
| Myth: | Palliative care means the patient’s doctor has given up and there is no hope. |
| Fact: | Palliative care providers help people achieve their best quality of life for the rest of their life. Hope changes from curing the disease, to living life as fully as possible. |
Who provides Palliative Care?
All health care practitioners caring for a patient with a life-limiting illness play a role in providing a palliative approach to care. The specific care team depends on each individual case and the needs of that patient and/or family. Your primary care provider can provide a palliative approach to care.
Regular monitoring of the following symptoms is vital to providing quality person-centered palliative care:
- pain
- tiredness
- drowsiness
- nausea
- lack of appetite
- shortness of breath
- depression
- anxiety
- overall wellbeing
- others as required
There are situations where you, your family and your doctor or nurse practitioner may determine that you need more specialized care, if
- your symptoms are complex
- you require frequent trips to hospital
- your goals of care have changed, or
- your disease is progressing
Based on the above, a referral to home care is the first step. An intake assessment will determine which services are right for you. Referrals may come from a variety of sources including yourself, your care partners, community partners or health care providers. Your assessed needs determine which program is right for you at any point in time.
What Palliative Care Programs are available?
Presently three palliative care programs are available when extra resources are required. All three programs follow the palliative approach to care above and are intended to provide person and family-centered support at various stages of any palliative journey. Your assessed needs determine which program is right for you at any point in time.
Palliative Support Program is an outpatient program to meet the needs of clients and their families when there is a need for additional support earlier in their disease. At this stage, clients can participate at the community-based program location. They are seen either in a group setting or individually.
Palliative Approach Program is a home care program for palliative clients with a need for additional services in the home (i.e., nursing, occupational therapy, social work etc.). These clients may also participate in the Palliative Support program described above.
Provincial Integrated Palliative Care Program (P-IPCP) is a specialized palliative program for clients with more complex needs. Clients must meet clinical eligibility for this program. Clients are followed by an assigned Palliative Care Coordinator through Home Care and/or the Specialized Palliative Care Consultative Team based out of the Provincial Palliative Care Centre. This program gives access to other programs or services based on assessed need and eligibility, (i.e., other home care services, the Paramedics Providing Palliative Care at Home Program, the Palliative Drug Program, etc.).
The Specialized Palliative Care Consultative Team is housed within the Provincial Palliative Care Centre and provides expertise to clients with complex needs. This team is mobile and provides consultation and support to health care providers across the province, in addition to the palliative programs at home and at the Provincial Palliative Care Centre. You may see members of this team in acute care, long-term care or community settings.
What is the Provincial Palliative Care Centre?
The Provincial Palliative Care Centre is a specialized palliative care facility in Charlottetown with 10 private rooms. Each room has a bathroom and views of the beautiful gardens, as well as spaces for families and friends.
The team at the centre is composed of regulated health care professionals, support staff and volunteers.
Referrals for admission are reviewed and prioritized weekly by the Provincial Palliative Care Specialized Consultative Team. If appropriate, clients will be added to the Palliative Care Centre admission list. When a room becomes available, the admission list will be reviewed and prioritized to ensure the most up-to-date information is considered.
Who do I contact about Palliative Care Programs or resources?
You can contact your family doctor or nurse practitioner, Home Care in your community, or the:
Provincial Palliative Care Centre
93 Murchison Lane
Charlottetown, PE C1A 0G3
Telephone: (902) 368-4781
Email: palliativeadmin@ihis.org
Home Care Offices
Souris
Souris Hospital
17 Knights Avenue
PO Box 640
Souris, PE C0A 2B0
Telephone: (902) 687-7096
Montague
6 Harmony Lane
PO Box 490
Montague, PE C0A 1R0
Telephone: (902) 838-0786
Charlottetown
165 John Yeo Drive
Suite 201
Charlottetown, PE C1E 3J3
Telephone: (902) 368-4790
Summerside
Wedgewood Manor
310 Brophy Avenue
Summerside, PE C1N 5N4
Telephone: (902) 888-8440
O’Leary
Community Hospital
14 MacKinnon Drive
PO Box 160
O'Leary, PE C0B 1V0
Telephone: (902) 859-8730
General Inquiries
Health PEI
PO Box 2000
Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
Phone: 902-368-6130
Fax: 902-368-6136
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department.
If you are unsure what to do about a health issue or if you need health information, call 8-1-1.
