Last year on International Women’s Day, WINK members came together and voted to support the new Hospice@Home Pilot Project with their generous combined gift of $65,000.

Thanks to generous donor support, the Hospice@Home pilot project is already providing individuals experiencing a life-limiting illness or loss with the care they need at home after discharge from Humber River Health.

Since then, Hospice@Home has grown into a new collaborative program designed by hospital and community partners Humber River Health, Dorothy Ley Hospice, Etobicoke Services for Seniors (ESS), and Home and Community Care Support Services.

Thanks to generous donor support, the Hospice@Home pilot project is already providing individuals experiencing a life-limiting illness or loss with the care they need at home after discharge from Humber River Health. Throughout the pilot, the team at Humber River Health will work closely with families to develop and follow customized care plans to meet their specific needs and wishes including:

• In-home palliative care such as doctors, nurses, personal support, or medical supplies
• Community support such as lunch programs, transportation, or respite services
• Palliative and hospice support at home such as navigation/coordination services, caregiver support, counselling, end-of-life planning, caregiver respite, wellness coaching, spiritual care, in-home volunteers, and bereavement resources
• Palliative and hospice support in residence for when care at home is no longer possible
• Comfort & Care Fund access to supports dependent on individual situations

“Home-based hospice palliative care makes it possible for people living with life-limiting illness to maximize their time with their loved ones while being at the centre of their decision-making,” says Rhobi Jacobs, Hospice Care Coordinator.

The Hospice@Home pilot project launched this past January, marking the completion of the logistics, education and training development phases of the project.

Rhobi Jacobs, Hospice Care Coordinator, will oversee the growth and development of the program while establishing connections between community physicians and other support services.

“Home-based hospice palliative care makes it possible for people living with life-limiting illness to maximize their time with their loved ones while being at the centre of their decision-making,” says Rhobi. “The Hospice@Home pilot offers the opportunity to enhance continuity of care for people towards end of life, resulting in the kind of personalized support that patients and their families deserve.”

Rhobi will be working with palliative care physicians such as Dr. Aamir Haq who has worked with the Dorothy Ley Hospice for over 10 years. “I believe that communities need more access to community palliative care because research consistently shows that Canadians with a life limiting illness want to remain at home for their end of life,” says Dr. Haq. “Hospice@Home is an exciting step towards increasing palliative care in underserved communities.”

Thank you to our donors for helping us transform palliative care, making it more accessible and dignified for patients and their families.