Paramedics help palliative care patients remain at home

Island palliative care patients living in their homes are receiving timely access to pain and symptom management during overnight hours with the additional support of paramedics, helping them to stay in their homes longer.

Since the new Paramedics Providing Palliative Care at Home program began in December 2015, paramedics have responded to 76 calls from in-home palliative care patients during overnight hours. Of these, 27 patients, or 35 per cent, have been able to remain in their home with support from paramedics, while 49 patients, or 65 per cent, requested to be taken to the PEI Palliative Care Centre or the nearest hospital for additional care. The first year benchmark is for 25 per cent to stay in their home. 

“Many palliative patients prefer to remain at home for care and we are pleased to offer this new option for them,” said Health and Wellness Minister Robert Henderson. “With the assistance of paramedics, patients and families now have 24-hour access to pain and symptom management in their homes, where they want to be.”

Paramedics have been responding to calls for in-home palliative support from across the province, including:

• 12 calls from the West Prince area
• 16 calls from the Summerside area
• 35 calls from the Charlottetown area
• 13 calls from the Kings County area

“We are so pleased to see that this program is making a difference in the lives of in-home palliative patients and their families, especially during times of greatest need,” said Health PEI’s Provincial Palliative Care Medical Consultant Dr. Mireille Lecours. “It is important that we do what we can to support our patients’ wishes, this includes helping them to remain in their home for as long as they want to. Knowing that care is available to them during overnight hours in their home is comforting to our patients and important to supporting the care being provided by the Integrated Palliative Care Program.”

Islanders registered in the Provincial Integrated Palliative Care Program can access in-home support from Island EMS during overnight hours when they have a palliative emergency or an unexpected health event while at home. Paramedics trained in palliative pain and symptom management support patients in their home so that they do not have to go to hospital if they prefer not to. There are 354 palliative care patients registered with the program thus far.

Previous to this program, a call to 9-1-1 often resulted in a hospital admission – a medical intervention that went against the patient’s wishes to remain at home.

“Our family is so grateful for this service and for the additional support that we received from Island EMS when our daughter was ill,” said Jane Callbeck, who recently lost her daughter to cancer. “Being able to support our daughter’s wish to stay in our home during her final days was an incredible gift that wouldn’t have been possible without this program.”

The Paramedics Providing Palliative Care at Home Program is a partnership between the Provincial Integrated Palliative Care Program and Island EMS, and made possible with financial support from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and Health Canada. Prince Edward Island is the first province in Canada to offer in-home palliative care support by paramedics as a province-wide service.

For more information, visit the Paramedics Providing Palliative Care at Home Program.