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Palliative & End of Life Care

Information & Frequently Asked Questions

 

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What is palliative care?

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Palliative care is a special kind of health care for individuals and families who are living with a life-threatening illness that is usually at an advanced stage. The goal of palliative care is to assist in providing comfort and dignity for the person living with the illness as well as the best quality of life for both the person and his or her family. A family is whoever the person says his or her family is.  It may include relatives, partners and friends. 

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An important objective of palliative care is relief of pain and other symptoms. Palliative care is planned to meet not only physical needs but also the psychological, social, cultural, emotional and spiritual needs of each person and their family. 

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Palliative care may be the main focus of care when a cure for the illness is no longer possible. Palliative care services are helpful not only when a person is approaching death but also at earlier stages in the illness. Palliative care may be combined with treatments aimed at reducing or curing the illness, such as chemotherapy.

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Families also benefit from support when their loved one is dying and after his or her death.

 

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Who benefits from palliative care?

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Individuals and families living with life-threatening illnesses benefit from palliative care. Many people who receive palliative care are living with a life threatening illness. Palliative care helps those living with diseases such as cancer, advanced heart, respiratory and kidney disease, Alzheimer Disease, AIDS, ALS and multiple sclerosis (MS).

 

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What is involved with palliative care?

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Palliative care involves:

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  • Pain management - People living with life-threatening illness may experience pain. Families are concerned about pain and how to relieve it. Health care providers work with individuals and their families to find out what is causing the pain and the best ways to relieve it. Pain may be managed with opioids/opiates and other drugs  and by other means such as massage therapy and relaxation exercises.

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  • Symptoms management - Often people have to deal with a variety of other symptoms. These can include loss of appetite, nausea, weakness, difficulty breathing, bowel and bladder problems and confusion. Palliative care can help relieve these symptoms that may be very distressing.

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  • Social, psychological, emotional and spiritual support - The health of the whole person is important in palliative care. Because of this, palliative care services provide many different kinds of support to both the individual and family.

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  • Caregiver support - Individuals may be concerned about whether they will be able to look after their ill family member, especially when the person is being cared for at home.

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  • Palliative care services that help the family cope include:

    • advice and assistance from health care providers such as nurses and doctors who are skilled in providing palliative care.

    • instruction on how to care for the person, for example, how to give medication, how to prevent skin problems, how to recognize when the person is close to death and what to do at that time.

    • home support services that provide assistance with household tasks such as meal preparation, shopping and transportation.

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  • Bereavement support - Palliative care services provide support for family members to work through their own emotions and grief regarding the death of their loved one. Bereavement support may begin when the grieving process starts. This may be before the death of the family member. Bereavement support is an important part of palliative care for individuals who may have faced many losses over a short period of time.

 

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Who provides palliative care?

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Most people are cared for by their family and friends.  At certain times, they may need some additional help. In these situations, palliative care is usually provided by members of a palliative care team. When a team is involved, the person and his or her family are encouraged to make choices about the kind of care they want and to take an active part in planning care.

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Members of the team are  determined by the needs of the person and his or her family.  The team often includes a nurse with specialized palliative care skills, the person's family physician, a physician specialized in palliative care and a social worker.

 

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Where do people receive palliative care?

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Palliative care is offered in a variety of places;

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  • At home - Palliative care is often provided in people's homes through home care programs and professional nursing care. There may be other services available in some communities to help people to remain at home. Being at home may help people remain involved with their families and live as normally as possible. Some people feel that when they are at home they have more freedom to make choices about their care. There may be situations where people cannot stay at home to receive palliative care. Other options are available.

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  • Hospitals - Some hospitals have special palliative care units. Others set aside a certain number of beds on different units in the hospital for people needing palliative care.

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  • Long-term care facilities - Palliative care services may also be offered in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes. It is sometimes necessary for residents who need more specialized palliative care services to enter hospital.

 

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Who pays for palliative care?

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Palliative care at home may be paid for by the provincial health plan as part of a home care program. Services provided  in the last month of life  include the cost of drugs and equipment used at home and 219 paid hours of home support services. After these hours are used up, people need to look for other ways to pay such as Community Supports Home Program.

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People may use private insurance or their own money to pay for palliative care services at home.  Some may receive assistance from social agencies, service clubs, local cancer societies and other similar organizations. Palliative care provided in a hospital is usually paid for by provincial health plans. These plans usually cover most care including drugs, medical supplies and equipment while the person is in the hospital. There is no charge for bereavement support.

 

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How can I make my wishes known about the care I would like to receive when I am facing a life-threatening illness?

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You should talk over your wishes with your family and let them know what you want. You can also put your wishes in writing so that, in the event that you are unable to say what you want, your family and health care providers will know.  Such documents are called advance health care directives. You can seek advice about advance health care directives from your local health care provider which includes your family doctor, community nurse and social worker.

 

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How can I find out about palliative care services available in my community?

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The following resources may be helpful:

  • your family doctor

  • your community health care nurses

  • your hospital/community social worker

  • your spiritual counselor/clergy

  • your provincial palliative care association

  • your local Cancer Society or other organization concerned with specific diseases such as heart disease, Alzheimer Disease, kidney disease and MS

 

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How can I find out more general information about palliative care? 

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There are several resources available to you:

  • The public library may have books and other material on palliative and hospice care

  • Canadian Virtual Hospice

  • Central Health 

  • Links to other resources are listed below

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Caregiver and Family Resources

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Financial Resources

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Advanced Health Care Planning

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Bereavement Resources

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Regional Palliative and End of Life Care Referral

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Contact Information

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For more information on the Regional Palliative and End of Life Care services offered in Central Health contact one of the following:

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Regional Palliative Care Consultant

Grand Falls- Windsor
c/o Community Health Building 
36 Queensway, Grand Falls-Windsor, NL A2B 1J3
Tel: (709) 489-4703 Fax: (709) 489-8844

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Regional Palliative Care Consultant
Gander
C/O James Paton Memorial Regional Health Centre
125 Trans-Canada Highway
Gander, NL A1V 1P7
Tel: (709) 571-3149  Fax: (709) 256-5936

 

Regional Palliative Care Consultant
​Lewisporte  
Lewisporte Community Health Centre
P.O. Box 1209, 394-412 Main Street 
Lewisporte, NL  A0G  3A0 
Tel: (709) 535-0926 Fax: (709) 535-0360

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Regional Grief Consultant
C/O James Paton Memorial Regional Health Centre
125 Trans Canada Highway
Gander, NL A1V 1P7
Tel:(709) 235-1412 Fax: (709) 256-4187

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Regional Palliative Care Physician

Killick Health Services

54 Union St, Grand Falls-Windsor, NL 
Tel: (709) 292-8720 Fax: (709) 292-8443 

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