Page 3 – Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO)

HPCO Accreditation Program open to hospices outside of Ontario – Congratulations to Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society!

August 15, 2024

Hospice Palliative Care Ontario is thrilled to announce that Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society achieved HPCO Accreditation for their Hospice Residence! This marks the first time a non-Ontario hospice has received accreditation. “Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society can assure our communities that Accreditation serves as an indicator of commitment Continue reading →

Virtual Reality Videos for Symptom Management in Hospice and Palliative Care

August 14, 2024

Virtual reality (VR) is a simulation of reality using a high-end user-computer interface that allows real-time simulation and interactions through multiple sensorial channels creating an illusion that the environment exists. VR is increasingly being used in health care settings, including hospice and palliative care with positive effects on pain management. Continue reading →

Happiness in Hospice Care in The Netherlands: A Case Study

July 31, 2024

While hospice and palliative care is often associated at a societal level with suffering, many who have experienced hospice care associate it with happiness. While there are some studies describing the effects of various interventions on happiness, few studies have explored the phenomenon of happiness in the context of palliative Continue reading →

A Hospice Transitions Program for Patients in the Emergency Department

July 17, 2024

This quality improvement study, by Baugh and colleagues (2024), aimed to assess the association of hospice use with a novel multidisciplinary care transitions program to quickly identify and enroll patients eligible for hospice who presented to the emergency department (ED) near the end of life. The study involved 270 patients Continue reading →

Regional hospice and palliative care networks worldwide

July 3, 2024

This scoping review by Röwer and colleagues (2024) analyzed international literature on regional hospice and palliative care networks (RHPCNs) to identify structures, outcomes, benefits, success factors, and good practices. The study found that RHPCNs self-identify as local stakeholders, employ coordination offices, and actively recruit network partners. Outcomes included improved professional Continue reading →

Supporting the Journey Home: The Process of Co-designing an Education Program to Strengthen Palliative Care Capacity in First Nations Communities

June 19, 2024

In Ontario, Canada, a study aimed to improve home-based palliative care in First Nations communities by incorporating an early palliative care approach for community health-related workers. The CAPACITI curriculum was tested with 12 First Nations healthcare providers, who co-designed an education program that reflected their values and culture. The program, Continue reading →

HPCO2024: Conference Summary

June 14, 2024

Our annual Conference, HPCO2024, occurred on June 9-11, 2024. This sold-out event welcomed over 800 delegates from across Ontario. We also welcomed delegates from across Canada and from the United Kingdom. The 2024 conference theme was Palliative Care Everywhere. Building on the 2023 conference theme of Now is the Time, Palliative Continue reading →

2024 Dr. S. Lawrence Librach Award for Palliative Medicine in the Community: Dr. Naheed Dosani

June 13, 2024

The recipient of the 2024 Dr. S. Lawrence Librach Award for Palliative Medicine in the Community is Dr. Naheed Dosani. Dr. Naheed Dosani is a Palliative Care Physician at the department of Family and Community Medicine through St. Michael’s Hospital, the Medical Director and Clinical Health Equity Lead at Kensington Continue reading →

The Impact of Climate Change on Hospice and Palliative Medicine

June 5, 2024

Climate-related extreme weather events are expected to increase demand for hospice and palliative care due to rising respiratory illnesses, heat-related issues, waterborne diseases, and aggravated chronic conditions. Harris and colleagues (2024) conducted a literature review to understand the existing literature of climate change’s impact on hospice and palliative medicine. Twenty Continue reading →

Palliative End-of-Life Medication Prescribing Rates in Long-Term Care

May 22, 2024

A recent study by Tanuseputro and colleagues (2024) examined the prescribing rates of subcutaneous medications for end-of-life symptom control among residents who died in long-term care homes in Ontario. The findings demonstrated that about two-thirds of the residents received medications in order to manage their pain or other symptoms in Continue reading →