Home palliative care team
Our home-care physicians provide a small but vital part of the services you need. It actually takes a whole team of people to care for you in your home, most of them with very particular professional skills.
Many of the additional services you need will be organized by a government agency called the Local Health Integration Network. You will probably hear it referred to as the LHIN. To keep things simple, you will only have to deal with one person – your LHIN Coordinator, who will organize the services you will need to support you and your caregivers. You don’t even have to worry about contacting the LHIN, we will contact them for you.
The other members of your home palliative care team may include...
Your family doctor or pediatrician | may continue to care for you as needed even after you have been referred to us. They may see you in their office or, if they make house calls, at your home. To make sure all your doctors are up-to-date with your care plan, our doctor works with your family doctor or pediatrician. |
A medical specialist | is a specially trained doctor who provides treatment for specific diseases or illnesses such as an oncologist, cardiologist or surgeon. If you are being treated by a medical specialist, our palliative care doctor will work with them. |
A home-care nurse or primary care nurse | visits you in your home to provide nursing care. The LHIN can organize nursing care for you. If you have specific needs, such as a live-in nurse, this will have to be arranged privately though one of the many nursing organizations. The LHIN can help you to find one that meets your needs. |
A personal support worker | also known as a home health care aid, can look after matters of general hygiene, such as bathing and skin care. Your LHIN Coordinator can help to organize this for you. |
A grief counsellor | can provide support and counselling to help in your grief. Neither our Centre nor the LHIN can provide this support, but may be able to suggest someone you can contact. |
A spiritual leader | can provide spiritual support for you and your family if you want it. You will need to identify and contact the person that you will want to speak with. |
A hospice volunteer | can provide practical support and help around the house. For example, they may:
Your LHIN Coordinator can let you know about the hospices that are in your neighbourhood. |
