Hospices are comprised of Community (Visiting) Hospices and Residential Hospice organizations. The Community (Visiting) Hospice organizations provide emotional, social, spiritual support and practical assistance to:
These support services are mostly provided free of charge. The services are delivered primarily by volunteers that have been professionally trained and supported. A wide range of mediums are used to deliver these services such as: home visits, telephone support, emails, and support groups.
Core Services for Community (Visiting) Hospices
There are core services that are delivered by all Community (Visiting) Hospices in the Central Region. These services include hospice intake and coordination, support for family members and caregivers, anticipatory grief and bereavement support. All Community (Visiting) Hospices are also actively engaged within their community by championing education and awareness regarding hospice palliative care.
Hospices Assessment and Care Planning
All clients of community (visiting) hospices partake in an intake assessment by a professional. This intake process facilitates the development of an individualized care plan for the client. The intake and care planning involves: staff and volunteers assessing hospice needs and eligibility, development of an individualized service plan, advocacy, and providing referrals to other services.
Client and Family/Caregiver Hospice Services and Supports
- Visiting Hospice Services are delivered in the clients’ home or in the community by volunteers . The volunteers are trained and supported to work within their scope of practice to provide supports such as companionship, emotional support, caregiver relief, and practical assistance.
- Caregiver support is provided to those caring for a loved one with a serious illness. The service is offered on an individual basis or in a group setting. This support could include respite, emotional support, peer group support information and referral, or connection to additional services.
- Anticipatory grief and bereavement support is an important service offered to people who are facing or have faced the death of a loved one or those in their care. This service is offered on an individual basis or in a group setting depending on the needs of the client and family.
Community Engagement
Community (Visiting) Hospices engage with their local communities to provide education and awareness about hospice palliative care, including grief and bereavement. This includes engagement with schools, health professionals, community agencies, and representation at speaker’s forums and conferences.
Community (Visiting) Hospices Complementary and Group Programs
Community (Visiting) Hospices also provide group programs that may vary from hospice to hospice. The following table outlines the general types of additional services available. Please contact each individual hospice for more information. Click
here to view the Central LHIN hospice map.
| Central Region Community (Visiting) Hospices | Palliative Client Support Groups | Grief and Bereavement Groups | Caregiver Support Groups | Complementary Therapies (e.g., Reiki, reflexology, massage) | Others (e.g., Art Therapy, Stress Mgt) |
| Better Living Hospice |
| + | + | + | + |
| Circle of Care |
| + | + |
| + |
| Doane House Hospice | + | + | + | + | + |
| Evergreen Hospice (Markham and Thornhill sites) | + | + | + | + | + |
| Hazel Burns Hospice |
|
|
| + |
|
| Hospice Georgina | + | + |
|
|
|
| Hope House Community Hospice (formerly Hospice King-Aurora-Richmond Hill) | + | + | + | + | + |
| Hospice Vaughan | + | + |
| + | + |
| Jewish Family & Child- Jewish Hospice Program |
| + |
|
| + |
| Matthews House Hospice | + | + | + | + | + |
| Margaret Bahen Hospice | + | + | + | + | + |
Residential Hospices in the Central Region
Hospices are comprised of Residential Hospice and Community (Visiting) Hospice organizations. Residential hospice care is essential for people living with the challenges of a life-threatening illness and who can no longer be cared for in their own home, yet do not require the care of an acute care hospital. Residential hospices work in collaboration with physicians, hospitals, Ontario Health atHome and other care providers to facilitate integrated and seamless access to a variety of care needs. They offer a range of supportive services for patients and their families that are best provided outside a hospital setting.
A palliative approach provides supportive, comfort based care focusing on pain control and symptom management that aims to relieve suffering and improve the quality of living and dying. This approach ensures that hospices can serve diverse communities, respecting the different practical, religious, spiritual and cultural traditions associated with end-of-life care.
Each Residential Hospice has a model of care which is collaborative in nature and provides palliative care using a holistic approach through an interprofessional team that has expertise in palliative care.
What is a Residential Hospice?
- A Residential Hospice is a home-like environment that provides palliative care services by an inter-professional team with palliative care expertise 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the individual and their significant others at no cost to the user. There are minimum Regulated Health Care Professional staffing requirements for all Residential Hospices.
- All Community Residential Hospices must comply with relevant provincial and federal legislation and regulations that govern registered charities and healthcare facilities.
- Residential Hospices are integrated partners with other healthcare organizations such as Ontario Health atHome, local hospitals, and visiting hospice volunteer programs.
- Care in a residential hospice facility is offered at no cost to the patient or family.
Residential Hospices In the Central Region
Hill House, Matthews House, Margaret Bahen and Vaughan Hospice are three Residential Hospices in the Central Region.
Hill House Hospice (Residential) – 3 beds
36 Wright Street Richmond Hill, ON L4C 4A1
Phone: (905) 737-9308
Fax: (905) 737-4807
Matthews House (Residential) – 4 beds
6028 Highway 89
P.O. Box 10060 Alliston, ON L9R 0B7
Phone: (705) 435-7218
Fax: (705) 435-2755
Margaret Bahen Hospice (Residential) - 10 beds
653 Queen Street, Newmarket, ON, L3Y 2J1
Phone: (905) 967-1500
Fax: (905) 967-1515
Hospice Vaughan (Residential) - 10 beds
9383 Islington Ave, Woodbridge, ON L4H 3G7
Phone: (905) 850-6266
Fax: (905) 850-7987
Emily’s House is a Toronto-based residential hospice for children that supports patients from across Ontario, and is available for respite care, acute end of life care, pain and symptom management, and transitional care.
Emily’s House (Residential) - 6 beds
45 Jack Layton Way
Toronto, ON M4M 0B7
Phone: (416) 363-9196
Fax: (416) 363-6153
Residential Hospice Admission Criteria and Referral
In the Central region, the general admission criteria includes those patients with a progressive life-limiting illness, 18 years of age or older, with a life expectancy of 1-3 months who are unable to receive the required care at home, yet do not require the care of an acute care hospital. Refer to each residential hospice for specific admission criteria. Referrals to residential hospices are made by healthcare professionals using the Palliative Common Referral Form.