Palliative and End-of-Life Care
Palliative care addresses the physical and psychological aspects of end of
life. It involves:
- Pain and other symptom management;
- Social, psychological, cultural, emotional and spiritual support;
- Caregiver support; and,
- bereavement support.
Whether palliative care is offered through a formal palliative care
program or through a variety of other avenues, the focus of the care is on
achieving comfort and respect for the person nearing death and maximizing
quality of life for the patient, family and loved ones.
Palliative care is appropriate for any patient at any stage of a life
threatening illness, regardless of age. Palliative and end-of-life care
touches all parts of the health care system, from hospital to hospice to
community to home and usually involves an interdisciplinary team of caregivers
that deal with the medical and psycho-social, spiritual and economic needs of
the patient and the family.
Health Canada continues its work towards the development of a national
approach to palliative care through the Canadian Strategy on Palliative and
End-of-Life Care, which is committed to making integrated, accessible and
adequately funded palliative care available to all Canadians.
What Information is Available
In this section, you will find a convenient index of articles which contain
information on palliative care in Canada. You will also have access to a FAQ
section and links to reports and commentaries from Health
Canada's Secretariat on Palliative and End-of-Life Care.
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