What is palliative care?
Palliative care is often associated with end of life, but that does not reflect the full reality. Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of people living with a serious illness, at any stage of the illness, and to support their loved ones. Palliative care is not limited to end of life.
Under the Act Respecting End-of-Life Care, palliative care refers to active, comprehensive care provided by an interdisciplinary team to people living with an illness with a guarded prognosis, with the goals of:
- relieving suffering, without hastening or delaying death;
- helping maintain the best possible quality of life;
- offering the person and their loved ones the support they need.
Palliative care first and foremost aims to improve the quality of life of people facing a serious or life-limiting illness, at any stage of the disease, not only in the last days or weeks. It addresses pain and other physical symptoms while also providing emotional, social, and spiritual support to the person and those around them.
In practice
- Palliative care can begin as soon as a serious illness is diagnosed, to better manage symptoms and maintain comfort, function, and participation in daily activities.
- It is provided alongside curative or life-prolonging treatments, not necessarily instead of them; the goal is to make those treatments more manageable and preserve quality of life.
- The palliative team works in an interprofessional way (physician, nurse, pharmacist, social worker, volunteer, spiritual care provider, etc.) to meet the physical, psychological, and practical needs of the person and their loved ones.
- Care also includes support for loved ones, care planning based on the person’s values and wishes, and bereavement support if needed.
Why the association with end of life persists
- Media and popular culture often highlight stories from the final days, which reinforces the image of palliative care as “end-of-life care.”
- Some hospital teams or services mainly work with people in the terminal phase, which can strengthen this perception.
What is useful to remember
- Thinking “palliative care = end of life” prevents people from accessing services earlier that would improve their comfort and well-being.
- Promoting the idea that palliative care aims to support quality of life at all stages encourages more human, personalised care that is integrated with other medical care.
At the PalliAmi Foundation, we are situated at the end of the palliative-care continuum: we specifically support people at the end of life and their loved ones, and we make sure their final days are lived with dignity and respect. That said, we recognise that palliative care spans a full continuum and can begin well before the terminal phase to improve quality of life and support loved ones.
End-of-Life Care
End-of-life care aims to offer comfort, dignity, and quality of life to people living with a serious and incurable illness. It focuses on relieving pain and symptoms while promoting well-being and quality of life until the very last moments. It also takes into account each person’s human, emotional, and spiritual needs. Through its commitment, the PalliAmi Foundation helps support these essential services and accompanies patients and their loved ones with compassion and kindness.
Admission
Although the PalliAmi Foundation supports people admitted to the Palliative Care Unit at Hôpital Notre-Dame of the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud, as well as their loved ones, it has no decision-making authority regarding patient admissions.
Admission requests to the Palliative Care Unit at Hôpital Notre-Dame are reviewed by the medical team based on established eligibility criteria. All requests must be made by a health professional and approved by the attending physician.
The admission process includes receiving the request, reviewing the clinical file, assessing the patient’s needs, and checking bed availability. A decision is then made by the medical team, and the patient and their loved ones are informed of the outcome.
Eligibility criteria
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Live within the Montréal administrative region.
- Have a life expectancy of two months or less.
- Have a signed consent form in hand (signed by the patient, or by the family if the patient can no longer sign, or by the patient’s substitute decision-maker).
Submitting an admission request
- Signed form from the attending physician.
- Clinical summary concerning your medical situation (medical notes, test results, etc.).
- Contact information for the person responsible for the file.
- Send the admission request by fax to 514-362-7979 for medical assessment.
- A member of the Hôpital Notre-Dame Palliative Care Unit team will contact the designated person to confirm admission and the associated arrangements.
Costs
There are no fees for the care and services offered.
Information and contact
Anyone with questions is asked to contact the nursing station of the Hôpital Notre-Dame Palliative Care Unit at 514-413-8777, ext. 1-21526 or ext. 1-21481.