Friday, April 25, 2014
Enhancing Delivery of Hospice Palliative Care Services
April 24, 2014 – The North East LHIN is bringing together palliative partners across Northeastern Ontario to support end of life care at home.
Over the past year, the North East LHIN has been working with Warmhearts Palliative Caregivers Sudbury/Manitoulin and Maison Vale Hospice in an effort to help them join forces. As a result, two members of the Warmhearts Board have joined the Hospice Board and, Warmhearts’ staff, welcomed into the Hospice team.
“This realignment reflects the commitment of both organizations to put the needs of Sudburians first. In joining together, they’ve made it easier for volunteers to receive proper training and for families seeking help when their loved ones need palliative care services,” said Louise Paquette, CEO of the North East LHIN.
“The integration of Warmhearts Palliative Caregivers Sudbury-Manitoulin and Maison Vale Hospice was one of our main highlights and memorable accomplishments this past year. This new model provides an opportunity for us to improve the quality of hospice palliative care and provide appropriate, coordinated, effective, and efficient services in our community. We extend a sincere welcome to their staff and volunteers, who have now joined the Hospice team,” said Abbas Homayed, Chair of the Hospice Board.
The late Fabio Belli, Chair of the Warmhearts Board and Greater Sudbury City Councillor, also issued a statement on the coming together of the two organizations shortly before his unexpected passing:"The integration of Warmhearts Palliative Caregivers and Maison Vale Hospice will bring the collective resources of the two organizations together and unify the efforts of staff and volunteers in providing quality hospice palliative care services to individuals and families from our community who
are on their end of life journey."
The event also marked the one year anniversary of the Shared-Care Team. Last spring, the North East LHIN encouraged and funded an interdisciplinary team to provide hospice palliative care services to people at home. From the time that the Shared-Care Team was fully staffed in September 2013, it has helped 180 people, through 1,400 calls and visits. Of the 120 clients served who have since passed, 80 of them died in the location of their choice, which is the ultimate goal of the team. As a result, the Hospice will receive permanent funding.
And finally earlier this month, the North East Hospice Palliative Care Steering Committee set priorities for the coming year. With Mark Hartman at the helm, the committee set regional objectives including making recommendations to the North East LHIN on: standalone hospice residences and rural models for hospice care; strengthening volunteer services; enhancing palliative pain and symptom
management; standardizing palliative education; and integrating service delivery at all levels of care.
Quick Facts:
• Maison Vale Hospice is a 10 bedroom hospice which provides 24-hour care to more than 175 residents per year at their end of life. The North East LHIN, provides close to $1 million in funding annually for nursing and personal support services at the hospice. The average length of stay at the hospice by residents is 20 days.
• The North East Hospice Palliative Care Steering Committee is made up of representatives from all NE districts and sectors involved in delivering palliative care services and education. The committee has been charged with overseeing the recommendations of implementing the policy document, Advancing High Quality and High Value Palliative Care in Ontario: A Declaration of Partnership and Commitment to Action” (2011), and reporting back to the North East LHIN on any service gaps.
• The North East LHIN recently hired Lianne Valiquette to take on the role of Regional Hospice Palliative Care Coordinator to advance the planning and implementation of hospice and palliative care across the North East.
• Recent North East LHIN palliative care investments including funding five nurse practitioners, through the North East CCAC, to provide palliative care in people’s homes in Timmins, North Bay, Sudbury and Sault St Marie, as well as palliative care training for staff at small hospitals.
• The North East LHIN is responsible for planning, coordinating and funding 148 health service providers in Northeastern Ontario including hospitals, long term care homes, mental health and addiction organizations, community support services, community health centres, and the NECCAC. It oversees $1.4-billion in local health care investments on behalf of the 565,000 residents of Northeastern Ontario.
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