Ontario Expanding and Investing in Palliative Care in Windsor / Essex
NEWS June 22nd, 2023
Windsor / Essex — As part of Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government is expanding access to palliative care services in Windsor / Essex. This is part of Ontario’s $147.4 million investment over three years in communities across the province to connect more Ontarians to comfortable and dignified palliative care close to home and loved ones.
Windsor Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie stated: “For over 40 years, The Hospice Of Windsor and Essex County has been beloved in offering innovative palliative care. Everyone in Windsor / Essex knows someone that has been helped by Hospice, and I am thrilled that this new funding will continue to expand the critical work that they do for our community.
Essex MPP Anthony Leardi stated: “Our government is committed to helping Hospice and our other healthcare providers in Essex County to deliver the best possible services to our residents, where and when they need it. Palliative care is important, and I am thankful that our government continues to support important organizations like Hospice.”
A portion of this funding will be used to connect people to more palliative and end-of-life services across Ontario including:
In addition to expanding palliative care services across the province, this investment will provide existing residential hospice beds in Windsor / Essex with over $470,000.00 in additional funding over the next two years for nursing, personal support, and other services delivered to patients at Hospice. Ontario is investing over $53.8 million over the next two years to increase funding by 45 per cent for all approved hospice beds in Ontario, plus an additional increase for hospice beds in small facilities, of which Windsor’s allocation is over $450,000.00
Executive Director of The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County, Nancy Brockenshire said: “I am proud our Hospice of Windsor and Essex County has continued to grow to meet the needs of our community, adding 3 additional beds this year. We are so grateful and appreciative for this financial support and recognition both locally and provincially. This investment will allow us to continue to expand our specialized palliative care services and access for patients, families and caregivers in Windsor/Essex.”
The provincial investment also includes $10.9 million in multiyear funding to continue operations of 23 additional residential hospice beds through the 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 fiscal years.
“When people approach the end of their life, they deserve to know that they can remain in their community, near loved ones,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Expanding access to end-of-life care in Ontario communities will provide patients and their families with additional choices, helping to ensure they stay close to home in a familiar setting, with the specialized care they need.”
With Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the province is making it easier for people and their families to connect to the care they need throughout their entire life, whether that’s by expanding access to services in their home or community or giving them the choice to book or take an appointment virtually, to ensure hospital and long-term beds are available when it is needed most.
QUICK FACTS
- Expanding care options in the community is a key part of Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the plan to help Ontario families connect to the care they need, in ways that are more convenient for them.
- Ontario is expanding end of life care services by adding 23 new hospice beds to the 509 beds already available across the province to connect Ontarians with end-of-life care.
- The Ontario government is also providing up to $4.6 million in capital funding to Hospice Niagara for a new 10-bed residential hospice co-located with Foyer Richelieu Welland.
- Palliative care, which includes end-of-life care, can begin as early as the diagnosis of a serious illness and focuses on improving the quality of each individual’s life, provides integrated and holistic care for individuals, their families, and caregivers and ensures that they have access to the supports they need when facing illness, death, grief, and/or bereavement.
QUOTES
“This investment demonstrates the Government understands the value of community-based hospice palliative care and how it impacts the lives of everyone and supports the healthcare system with compassionate and cost effective care. The funding will help families have critical conversations about quality of life as part of their health care planning, it will support families as they journey through grief including parents facing the loss of an infant, and it will sustain hospice residences to meet the growing demand for hospice palliative care.”
- Rick Firth
President and CEO, Hospice Palliative Care Ontario
“This investment in quality hospice palliative care places Ontario as a leader in Canada on an issue that impacts every community. Thanks to the tireless efforts of HPCO, hospices, health care workers, and volunteers, this funding will enable more Ontarians to receive the right care, in the right place. We are thrilled to see this important step forward in Ontario towards a future where everyone can access quality palliative care when they need it most.”
- Laurel Gillespie
CEO, Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
“Ontario’s doctors support and welcome the government’s commitment to ensuring that every patient in Ontario has access to high-quality palliative care in the setting of their choice, from the time they are diagnosed with a life-limiting illness until they die. The Ontario Medical Association believes that allowing patients to remain in their preferred setting, often the home or home-like settings such as long-term care, provides not just better care and compassionate support for them and their loved ones at this difficult time, but is also a better use of health-care resources.”
- Dr. Andrew Park
President, Ontario Medical Association
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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Paul Synnott
Executive Assistant Andrew Dowie, MPP
Windsor-Tecumseh
Ph: 519-251-0437 Cell: 226-724-6978
Email: paul.synnott@pc.ola.org