Ontario Investing in Palliative Care in Vaughan

Province Committed to Funding for New Hospice Care Facility

News.Ontario.ca
Aug. 8, 2016

Ontario is committing to invest $1.05 million annually in Hospice Vaughan, once construction of its new 10-bed care hospice is completed.

Hospice Vaughan, which currently offers a visiting volunteer program, is expanding to become the Hospice Vaughan Centre of Excellence in Hospice Palliative Care. This new centre will work with key community partners to provide 10 new hospice care beds, counselling and day programs for families, as well as research and education on patient care. The centre will also serve as the hospice palliative care services hub for the City of Vaughan and surrounding area.

This investment supports Ontario's commitment to strengthen access to palliative care across the province. In the 2016 Budget, Ontario invested an additional $75 million over three years to provide patients with more options and access to community-based palliative and end-of-life care. This includes a $13.9 million increase in funding for existing hospice beds across the province and funding to support the commitment to expand hospice care to include up to 20 new hospices across Ontario.

This funding for hospices will help ensure high-quality palliative and end-of-life care remains in the community for future generations. This investment will enhance compassionate end-of-life support that relieves suffering and improves the quality of living and dying.

Investing in palliative care is part of the government's plan to build a better Ontario through its Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care, which provides patients with faster access to the right care; better home and community care; the information they need to live healthy; and a health care system that is sustainable for generations to come. It is also part of Ontario's Patients First: Roadmap to Strengthen Home and Community Care, which is the government's plan to improve and expand home and community care over the next three years.

Quick Facts

• As part of the 2016 Budget, Ontario announced an additional investment of $75 million in hospice and palliative care over the next three years. This additional spending will be on top of the $80 million already invested in hospice and palliative care, bringing the total investment to $155 million from April 2016 to April 2019.

• Ontario is providing funding increases for facilities that provide hospice care across the province. The province’s support for the new hospice beds in Vaughan is part of its commitment to support up to 20 additional hospices.

• Ontario recently released the Palliative and End-of-Life Care Provincial Roundtable Report, which compiled feedback from provincewide consultations led by John Fraser, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. The report will help Ontario develop a comprehensive strategy on palliative and end-of-life care, which will focus on supporting families and caregivers, and ensuring access to co-ordinated quality care where patients want it.

• Ontario recently launched the Ontario Palliative Care Network, a partnership among Cancer Care Ontario, Ontario’s Local Health Integration Networks, Health Quality Ontario and other partners, including members from diverse care settings and caregivers, clinical representatives and associations.

Additional Resources
Palliative and End-of-Life Care Provincial Roundtable Report
Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care
Ontario’s Roadmap to Strengthen Home and Community Care
Hospice Palliative Care Ontario
Hospice Vaughan

Quotes
“Hospices provide Ontarians and their families with high quality compassionate palliative and end-of-life-care. This new funding will support the critical role that Hospice Vaughan plays within the community, and is an important part of our commitment to improve hospice palliative care across the province.”

Dr. Eric Hoskins
Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

“Hospices are special places that provide compassionate care to patients and families at a challenging time in their lives. They are a critical part of Ontario's plan to ensure access to high quality hospice palliative care.”

John Fraser
Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

“Over the last 21 years Hospice Vaughan has provided the residents of Vaughan with compassionate end-of-life care through their visiting hospice. With our government’s commitment of $1.05 million annually, their vision of a 10-bed residential hospice will ensure that those facing life limiting illness and loss receive high quality palliative and end-of-life care, and that their families and caregivers receive the supports they need as they go through the grieving process.”

Steven Del Duca
MPP Vaughan

“With gratitude the Hospice Vaughan Organization would like to thank the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for recognizing the need for hospice palliative care beds in the City of Vaughan. The funding will help support our vision to build a 10-bed Residential Hospice Centre of Excellence.”

Mary Grace Tatangelo
President of the Board of Directors