Hospice Northwest receives support to help unhoused people get palliative care

Accessing palliative care can be stressful for anyone, but for people experiencing homelessness, even getting to medical appointments can be an impossible barrier.

The Palliative Advocacy Care Team (PACT) in Thunder Bay, Ont., works to address these challenges by connecting unhoused individuals who have life-limiting illnesses with essential services, such as food, transportation, communication methods and primary care.

"When you add mental health and addictions and struggles with, 'I don't have a home, how is home care going to be able to access me?' I think that there's just so many layers to accessing quality palliative care," said Kimberley Ramsbottom, Hospice Northwest's outreach program co-ordinator.

"That's where we noticed there was a real significant gap in services."

The Mount Pleasant Group, which owns several cemeteries and funeral centres in the Greater Toronto Area, recently recognized PACT with their inaugural Equity in Action Award. The $10,000 award money, combined with funding secured through Health Excellence Canada, means the program can continue for the next fiscal year.

"Everyone deserves compassionate, person-centred end-of-life care — especially those who are often overlooked," Abigail Brown, director of marketing, communications and outreach with Mount Pleasant Group, said in a news release.

"[Hospice Northwest's] model affirms the dignity of every person and sets a powerful example for future outreach-focused care initiatives."

'Palliative care is enhanced care'

Hospice Northwest runs PACT alongside NorWest Community Health Centres (NWCHC), with guidance from a coalition of 10 partner organizations. NWCHC supports the program through its palliative care link, which essentially connects clients with other resources in town.

The $10,000 award will go directly to meeting clients' needs, from helping them find transportation, to getting a cellphone so their doctor can reach them about upcoming appointments.

While PACT currently does not have an outreach worker on staff, it's looking to rehire this position, which has been critical in building connections with clients.

For example, Ramsbottom spoke of a man who acted aggressively when receiving chemotherapy. After PACT's outreach worker spoke with him, they learned he was a residential school survivor and was triggered by being strapped down for his treatment.

After the outreach worker explained the situation, the man was able to receive care in a more trauma-informed way. 

"I feel like we were recognized in a way that allows us to support people … to meet them where they're at and not where they're having to come and jump through hoops for us, right?" Ramsbottom said of the Equity in Action Award.

"We're helping them and wrapping services around them, so they have some integrity and some respect and they're treated with dignity."

In a perfect world, Ramsbottom said she'd like to see Thunder Bay open a residential hospice where people can be supported until the end of their life.

She'd also like to see long-term, sustainable funding — from both Health Excellence Canada and potentially the province — to keep the PACT program going.

"The idea of palliative care is enhanced care, so that services don't stop because you're receiving palliative care, you're actually getting an enhanced service," Ramsbottom said.

"I would hope that people get the message that it's not scary, that we are helping support people in the holistic way that they want to be treated and cared for, and that there are many people out there that are not accessing services because they don't know where to go."