Palliative Home Care - Calgary Urban

This service provides comprehensive interprofessional palliative care services to adult patients and families who are living with a progressive life limiting illness or are nearing end of life. This services include:

• comprehensive nurse case management to provide ongoing assessment, monitoring collaboration with the health care team, support guidance and education regarding physical symptoms, psychosocial and spiritual concerns that may arise as a result of life limiting or end stage illness
• interprofessional care to support holistic care needs for the patients and families including psychosocial and spiritual supports
• coordination for in home support services (i.e. assistance with personal care, caregiver respite, volunteer support)
• assessment, coordination and education for equipment needs and care to support patients to remain safely at home
• facilitation for transitions to alternate care settings, i.e. hospice
• facilitate discussions regarding advance care planning (i.e. goals of care) and end of life decision making
• guidance and support to facilitate a patient's desire for home death
• provide support and guidance for anticipatory grieve and bereavement

• has a progressive advanced life threatening or end stage disease or illness with anticipated prognosis of less than 12 months
• disease based interventions are primarily intended for symptom management and / improve quality of life
• patient or family aware of diagnosis and prognosis and in agreement with a palliative approach to care
• requires ongoing expertise of a specialized palliative care interprofessional team
• an advance care planning or serious illness conversation has been initiated with the patient / family
• the client is 18 years or older
• the client is a resident of Alberta or is the process of setting up residency in Alberta

Referrals are triage daily based on urgency:

• an urgent referral: patients are generally seen within 24 hours
• medium urgency referral: patients are generally seen within 2 - 3 days
• low urgency referral: patients are seen within 7 days

There are no fees for professional or personal care services. There may be fees for equipment, supplies or medications.

Patients are eligible to Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL) for cost associated with equipment and supplies. Patients are enrolled into Palliative Blue Cross program to cover medication cost through community pharmacies.

• Health - Home Supports
• Health - Hospice / Palliative Care
• Seniors / Older Adults - In-Home Supports

Service is available 24/7 for patients who have been admitted to the Palliative Home Care. Patients waiting for admission must call their health provider or go to emergency.