Supporting patients and families is key to palliative care program

By Emily Dawson

Michael Pasquale and his mother, Rosie, always had warm memories of Providence Healthcare. Close family members had received exceptional care there and when the time came to seek palliative care for Rosie, Providence was the only place she wanted to be.

Providence’s Palliative Care program houses a 35-bed unit – making it one of the province’s largest hospital programs – and staff are committed to maintaining comfort, managing pain, and fostering dignity for the dying.

Pasquale was his mother’s primary caregiver as she started requiring more intensive care.

Michael Pasquale, pictured in the Patient and Family Lounge, visits the program where his mother spent her final days. (Photo by Ramon Syyap)

“We spent lots of time together and I cherished that; I wanted to be able to care for her as she aged. But it was a difficult role for a son because it was very personal, like bathing and dressing her,” he says.

“She had so many falls and I was nervous all the time. Ultimately, she had a terrible fall that changed everything. Her mind was sharp but her body was deteriorating quickly.”

In a hospital after the last fall, Pasquale, Rosie, and her doctor recognized that palliative care was the best option.

Pasquale clearly remembers his Mom’s conversation with her doctor.

“She told him, ‘If I can go to Providence, I’ll be happy.’”

Providence renovated and relocated the program in 2016, with great care taken in designing the environment and services to support both patients and their loved ones.

In addition to a contemporary and home-like patient unit, the new Family and Caregiver Floor includes two overnight suites for family members needing to stay close by, a children’s room, a business office, and a multi-faith prayer room.

Respite care is offered for up to two weeks to give caregivers time for rest and renewal. Caregivers can use the time for self-care, a vacation, or to manage professional obligations.

There’s also a “return home” option for patients who choose to die at home after having their symptoms managed at Providence. Patients can seamlessly return to Providence if things don’t go as planned at home.

For the Pasquales, Providence’s program gave them the best gift of all: peace of mind.

“We both felt at peace that Providence was her last stop. Her doctor, nurses, and everyone on the unit were so good, and I always felt taken care of too. She was safe. That’s all we could have wanted.”