Palliative Care Providers
Each person has unique needs, and because of this, palliative care involves a range of care providers which includes the person’s care partner(s). Physicians, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, volunteers, and other health care professionals all play important roles in providing comprehensive care. Often, providers will work collaboratively, as part of an interprofessional palliative care team, to address the holistic needs of the person, their family, and their care partners.
See the Palliative Care Health Services Delivery Framework to learn about what an interprofessional palliative care team looks like.
Where Palliative Care is Provided
Palliative care is delivered in a variety of care settings, including:
Home
- This could be any homelike setting (personal home, retirement home, long-term care home, etc.)
- Provided by home care agencies, visiting hospice care programs or family care partners
- Includes nursing care, supporting activities of daily living, social work, case management, and providing medical supplies and equipment
- Find information about home-based care services or long-term care in Ontario
Hospital
- Provides intensive care and medical treatments for complex needs
- If a person has pain or other symptoms and visits an emergency department, they may be admitted to the hospital for care
- Hospitals may have designated inpatient palliative care units, consultation teams, patient and care partner programs and other support
Hospice
- A community-based organization or program supporting people living with a serious illness and their care partners, family and friends
- Provides support in a variety of settings, including a person’s home or a homelike setting
- Offers services including hospice-trained volunteers, day programs, psychosocial supports, grief and bereavement support, and other wellness support
Hospice Residence
- A health care facility and registered charity that offers palliative care services by an inter-professional team with palliative care expertise
- Care is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in a home-like setting for the individual and their significant others
- Hospice residences create a home-like environment for patients who are at the end of their lives and need around-the-clock care, best provided in a specially focused care setting.