In-Home Palliative Care in Toronto

What Is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is an approach to care intended to relieve suffering and improve quality of life for people living with a serious illness, while also supporting their families and caregivers.

A common misconception is that palliative care is only for someone who is in the final stage of life. In fact, palliative care can begin earlier in the course of a serious illness and may be provided alongside treatments intended to manage or treat the underlying condition.

Depending on the person and their illness, palliative care may address physical comfort as well as practical, emotional, social and spiritual needs.

Senior Homecare By Angels provides the non-medical caregiving and personal-support component of palliative care. Our care providers can work alongside the client’s physicians, nurses and other members of their health-care team to help support the individual’s established care plan and daily needs.

Palliative Care at Home in Toronto

For many people living with serious illness, home is where they feel most comfortable.

In-home palliative care can provide additional support that helps a person remain in familiar surroundings, close to family, personal belongings and established routines.

Ontario’s approach to palliative care recognizes that care may be provided in a person’s own residence as well as hospitals, hospices, long-term care homes and other community settings.

Senior Homecare By Angels Toronto can provide care providers to assist clients in their own homes as well as support individuals who are hospitalized, returning home following treatment or receiving care in another facility.

How Can a Palliative Caregiver Help?

The needs of someone living with a serious illness can change over time. Our approach begins with understanding the individual, their abilities, routines, preferences and the support already being provided by family and health-care professionals.

Depending on the client’s individualized care plan, our care providers may assist with:

Personal Care

Illness, weakness or reduced mobility can make everyday personal-care routines more difficult. Care providers can assist with personal hygiene, grooming, toileting, incontinence care and other personal needs.

Bathing and Dressing

Care providers can assist with bathing, dressing, grooming, hair care and shaving while respecting the client’s privacy, preferences and dignity.

Companionship and Emotional Support

Serious illness can sometimes be isolating. Having someone present to listen, talk, share memories or simply provide reassuring companionship can be an important part of everyday care.

Meal Preparation

A care provider can assist with preparing meals and snacks according to the client’s established preferences and dietary requirements.

Medication Reminders

When medication reminders are part of the client’s established routine and care plan, care providers can assist clients who use systems such as pill organizers or medication trackers.

Light Housekeeping and Laundry

Everyday household tasks can become difficult during serious illness. Care providers may assist with light housekeeping, laundry, bed making and linen changes related to the client’s daily care.

Appointments and Errands

Care providers can provide accompaniment to medical appointments and assist with routine errands when appropriate.

Family Caregiver Relief

Palliative care often involves family members who are providing significant amounts of day-to-day support. A professional caregiver can step in to provide temporary assistance, allowing family caregivers time to rest, attend to other responsibilities or simply spend time with their loved one as family rather than always being the primary caregiver.

Supporting Comfort Without Replacing Medical Care

Senior Homecare By Angels Toronto is a private, non-medical home-care company. Our role is different from that of physicians, nurses and other regulated health professionals who diagnose conditions, prescribe medication or provide clinical pain and symptom management.

Instead, our care providers can complement the medical palliative-care team by helping with personal care, companionship, meals, everyday activities and other non-medical needs identified in the client’s care plan.

A person receiving palliative care may have several people involved in their care, including physicians, nurses, specialists, family members and personal caregivers. Coordinating these different forms of support can help the individual receive care that reflects their needs, priorities and preferences. Ontario’s current palliative-care model similarly emphasizes coordinated, person- and family-centred care across providers and settings.

Palliative Care for Serious and Chronic Illness

Palliative care may be considered for people living with many different serious or life-limiting conditions. Senior Homecare By Angels has experience supporting clients affected by conditions including:

Palliative Care Is Not Only End-of-Life Care

Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, palliative care and end-of-life care are not exactly the same thing.

Palliative care can begin earlier in a serious illness and may be provided alongside treatments intended to control the illness or prolong life. End-of-life care generally refers to care provided as a person approaches the final stage of life.

In both situations, comfort, dignity and the person’s goals and preferences are central considerations.

If you are unsure whether your family member’s situation would be considered palliative, you do not need to determine that on your own before contacting us. We can learn about your circumstances, explain the non-medical home-care support we provide and discuss how it may fit alongside your loved one’s existing health-care team.

Palliative Support After a Hospital Stay

A transition from hospital to home can create new challenges for both the individual and their family.

A person may be weaker than before hospitalization, require more help with personal care or daily activities, or simply need someone present while family members adjust to a new care routine.

Senior Homecare By Angels can provide care providers for clients who are hospitalized, returning home following treatment or transitioning to another care setting.

Our Hospital Support and home-care services can also provide additional assistance when a family needs help navigating the transition from hospital care to ongoing support at home.

Support for the Whole Family

Serious illness affects more than the person who has been diagnosed.

Spouses, adult children and other relatives often become caregivers while simultaneously managing work, their own families and the emotional impact of seeing someone they love become ill.

A care provider can assist with everyday needs while family members rest, manage other responsibilities or spend meaningful time with their loved one without having to perform every caregiving task themselves.

When additional relief is needed for a primary family caregiver, our Respite Care service may also be incorporated into the family’s care arrangement.

How Our Palliative Home Care Process Works

Why Families Choose Senior Homecare By Angels Toronto

Senior Homecare By Angels Toronto has been serving clients and families since 2008. The Toronto operation was founded by Executive Director David Milman, whose own experience caring for his father during liver cancer helped inspire his involvement in home care and palliative support.

Today, we continue to focus on individualized care that respects the dignity, independence and personal preferences of each client. Families choose us for:

Our goal is to provide the level of non-medical support each client needs while working alongside the people already involved in their care.

Frequently Asked Questions About Palliative Care

What is palliative care?

Palliative care focuses on relieving suffering and improving quality of life for a person living with a serious illness while also supporting their family and caregivers. It may address physical, emotional, social, spiritual and practical needs and can be provided at different stages of an illness.

Is palliative care only for someone who is dying?

No. Palliative care is not limited to the final stage of life. It may begin earlier in the course of a serious illness and can be provided alongside treatment for the underlying condition.

Can palliative care be provided at home?

Yes. Palliative care can be provided in the home as well as hospitals, hospices, long-term care homes and other care settings. Senior Homecare By Angels provides non-medical caregiving support for clients at home and in other settings depending on their circumstances.

What does a palliative home caregiver do?

A non-medical palliative caregiver can assist with everyday needs such as personal care, bathing and dressing, companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping and other support identified in the client’s individualized care plan.

Does Senior Homecare By Angels provide medical pain management?

Senior Homecare By Angels Toronto is a non-medical home-care company. Clinical pain and symptom management should be directed by the client’s physicians, nurses or other qualified health-care professionals. Our care providers complement the medical team by supporting comfort and assisting with personal care and everyday needs.

Can palliative care be provided while someone is still receiving treatment?

Yes. Palliative care can be introduced alongside treatments intended to cure an illness, slow its progression or prolong life. It does not necessarily mean that active treatment has stopped.

Can you provide support when someone is leaving the hospital?

Yes. Senior Homecare By Angels provides care for clients who are hospitalized as well as those who have returned home following treatment or transitioned to another care facility.