Palliative Care in the Home

We are committed to respecting your unique needs, values and hopes, and to providing guidance that empowers you to face difficult decisions. 

You can continue receiving life-prolonging treatment for your illness even while you receive palliative care.

Our physicians work closely with the palliative care program at Ontario Health at Home. This is the government agency that provides nurses, personal support workers (PSWs) and therapists who will visit you at home to give you basic medical care and supportive care.

We care for patients of all ages with serious, life-limiting illness who cannot easily travel to appointments or who have no clinic-based palliative care available to them. 

Our team works closely with the Paediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT) at The Hospital for Sick Children when caring for paediatric patients. 

What to expect

At your first home-care appointment, your palliative care physician will take the time to get to know you and answer any questions you may have.

We can support you and your family in many different ways during the course of your illness, including the following:

• Treating pain, other troubling symptoms and stress that come with life-limiting illness
• Helping you understand what to expect as your illness progresses
• Helping you understand your treatment choices
• Communicating with other medical specialists on your behalf
• Connecting you to other resources and supports 

We will visit you as often as you need. The frequency of visits often increases as your illness progresses.

During the advanced stages of illness, many patients choose to spend their last weeks and days at home. We can also help you move to a palliative care unit or hospice if you prefer.

Physicians or HCCSS visits are paid for by OHIP or federal coverage. However, not all the costs of home care may be covered by the government. We can provide guidance about how financial support may be obtained if needed.

How to access our service

Our service area covers much of Central Toronto and North York. For palliative care options in other areas, please visit the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association's directory of services. 

We accept referrals from physicians. Visit our referral guide for more information. If your needs are not palliative or are best managed by another program, we may refer you to other services that provide home visits.