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Palliative care is aimed at relief of suffering and improving the quality of life for persons who are living with or dying from advanced illness or are bereaved. An important objective of palliative care is relief of pain and other symptoms related to an illness and treatment of that illness. Palliative care may become the main focus of care when a cure for the illness is no longer possible. Palliative care services help people in the later stages of their illnesses live out their remaining time in comfort and dignity. Those working in palliative care share a common hope, that when the end of life comes to us or to a loved one, it will be peaceful and free of pain, surrounded by those we love, feeling cared for and safe¹. Palliative care is appropriate for any patient and/or family living with a life threatening diagnosis. Unfortunately, only 5% of Canadians have access to Palliative Care.

Our Mission
The West Island Palliative Care Residence is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to the care of patients during the final days of a terminal illness. The staff and volunteers at the Residence will provide palliative care for these patients and their families by responding to their physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs during the course of the illness and the bereavement period. The Residence will also undertake to promote education and research in palliative care and to act as an example for other communities wishing to organize freestanding palliative residences.

¹ HPC Nursing Standards of Practice, CHPCA 2002