Hospice palliative care

• Provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms. 
• Affirms life and accepts dying as a normal process. 
• Intends neither to speed up or delay death. 
• Addresses the patient's mental and spiritual well-being.
• Offers a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death. 
• Offers a support system to help the family cope during the patient’s illness and in their own bereavement (grief). 
• Uses a team approach to address the needs of patients and their families.
• Will enhance quality of life and may also positively affect how their illness progresses.
• Is relevant from the early stages of an illness, especially when combined with other treatments like chemotherapy or radiation therapy aimed at extending life.
• Can involve exploring and managing challenging clinical issues that come up throughout a patient's treatment.

The Palliative Care Unit (PCU) is located on the 10th floor at St. Paul’s Hospital – Providence Building. 

The 12-bed unit focuses on the acute care needs of people living with life-threatening illness. It is a place where complex pain and other symptoms can be investigated, diagnosed and treated. Once a patient's symptoms are under control, the location for their future care can be determined. Options for ongoing care include hospice, long term care, or returning to where they were living before with home care support. For some patients, supportive care will be provided on the unit until end of life.

The PCU is staffed with a team of health care professionals including: 

• Physicians  
• Nurses 
• Spiritual Health Practitioners 
• Dieticians 
• Occupational Therapists 
• Physiotherapists 
• Pharmacists 

The team works with each patient and their family to deliver the highest-quality care.

Students of all professional groups are welcome to the PCU, to encourage an opportunity for learners to understand how to deliver acute palliative care. Please call the unit at 604-682-2344 or email Operations Leader, Operations Leader, Harvey Bosma for more information. 

The unit also has trained volunteers who assist with a number of services and provide extra support. Learn more about volunteer opportunities.

The Palliative Care Clinic helps patients with chronic (long-term) and life-threatening illnesses. The clinic supports patients in managing their symptoms and planning for end-of-life care. The clinic is virtual and offers appointments by telephone or Zoom. 

The clinic is available primarily to patients from the St. Paul’s PCU and from other acute inpatient units. 

The Palliative Care Clinic does not see patients living with chronic pain or residents living in long-term care homes. There are other specialized support services available for these individuals.

A long-term care (LTC) home is the best option for a person who is expected to live with their disease for more than 3-6 months. People usually move to an LTC home when their physical and mental abilities decline due to a long-lasting health issue and they can no longer be supported at home. A palliative approach to care in a LTC home focuses on improving quality of life throughout a person's illness journey.

Consultation services are available at all LTC homes across Providence. The consultation team does not assume care but provides an added layer of support to address a resident's/family's needs.

We accept referrals from residents, family members and any member of the health care team.  

Contact information: 

Triage nurse 
Monday – Friday : 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m .

Long-term care: 604-290-2283 

The nurse will liaise with the family physician and health care team to advise of the request for consultation.

Locations of care

• St. Vincent's: Brock Fahrni 
• St. Vincent's: Langara 
• Chénchenstway
• Youville Residence 
• Mount Saint Joseph Hospital
• Holy Family Hospital 

When a person with a life-threatening condition requires ongoing care, the best location may be a hospice. A hospice is a good choice if remaining at home is not an option. A hospice provides specialized care for people in their last six months of their life. The primary focus is on enhancing comfort and improving the patient's quality of life.

What to know about hospice care

• Focuses on a philosophy of caring for both the hospice resident and their family. 
• Focuses on enhancing the patient’s comfort and quality of life.
• Will be planned in partnership with the patient, their family, their family physician, and the hospice care team. 

The patient's setting may change if their condition stabilizes or improves. Hospice staff will decide whether hospice care is still appropriate. If the hospice setting is no longer right for the patient, the hospice care team will work with the patient and their family to decide an alternative setting.

Locations of care

• St. John Hospice 
• May's Place Hospice

Our Palliative Outreach and Consult Team (POCT) provides consultation services across the organization. This interdisciplinary team is accessible to the people we serve, their families and all health care providers.

Doctors and nurses work together on POCT. They deliver person-centred care focused on enhancing quality of life for those living with advanced chronic and/or life-threatening illness.

Discover the healing power of music with our dedicated music therapists. Tailored sessions promote well-being, addressing emotional and physical needs.

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We offer pastoral care services to support you and your loved ones. Our professional staff, including chaplains from different faiths, are here to accompany you, provide counseling, and create spaces for reflection, prayer, and meditation. 

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Advance care planning is about making sure your health care preferences are known. It involves talking about or writing down what you want for your future medical care. 

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The St. Paul’s Hospital Palliative Care Unit, in collaboration with the Vancouver Home Hospice Team, hosts a one-time session, bi-monthly, titled “Being with Grief.” For more information, dates, and registration, please contact 604-659-1160 or email nancychanclinic@vch.ca. 

Provides up to six weeks of income support to a person so that they can provide care or support to a family member at risk of dying within 26 weeks.

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A non-profit charitable organization dedicated to the healthy and wholesome recovery of individuals experiencing grief.

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Clients must be referred to the Vancouver Home Hospice Palliative Program by the community health office or centre in their area. Their physician can also contact the Vancouver Home Hospice Palliative Care Service: 604-742-4010

Any patient/resident or family member at St. Paul’s Hospital, Mount Saint Joseph Hospital or long-term care within Providence can ask for a palliative assessment by our team. 

You can refer to us for assistance with pain and symptom management, arranging palliative community support from hospital, establishing goals of care, or end-of-life care.

Contact information: POC Team
Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Long-term care: 604-290-2283
St. Paul's Hospital: 604-657-9579
Mount Saint Joseph Hospital: 604-877-8512 ext.78512