Ontario Expanding and Investing in Palliative Care in Milton

MILTON  — As part of Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario Government is expanding access to palliative care services in Milton. Our government is investing over $208,000 in Milton over the next two years for nursing, personal support, and other services delivered to patients at The Darling Home for Kids.

“Proud that our government is investing in The Darling Home for Kids in Milton to increase access to high-quality hospice palliative care,” said Parm Gill, MPP for Milton. “This investment reflects our government’s commitment to ensure that members of our community facing serious illness are receiving the compassionate support and comfort they deserve.”

A portion of this funding will be used to connect people to more palliative and end-of-life services across Ontario including:

• Grief and bereavement support that help families and caregivers who are grieving the loss of a loved one.
• Advance care planning to help patients and families prepare for future health care decisions; and
• Perinatal palliative care programs that provide specialized grief, bereavement, and peer support that help parents prepare for the loss of their infant.

This is part of Ontario’s $147.4 million investment over three years in communities across the province to connect more people to comfortable and dignified palliative care close to home and loved ones. Ontario is also investing over $53.8 million over the next two years to increase funding by 45 per cent for all approved hospice beds in Ontario, plus an additional increase for hospice beds in small facilities.

“When people approach the end of their life, they deserve to know that they can remain in their community, near loved ones,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Expanding access to end-of-life care in Ontario communities will provide patients and their families with additional choices, helping to ensure they stay close to home in a familiar setting, with the specialized care they need.”

“The Darling Home for Kids provides essential services to children with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses through a continuum of care from palliative-respite, end-of-life and grief and bereavement programs,” said Kristin Horrell, CEO for The Darling Home for Kids.  “With the rising costs of delivering quality medical care, government funding, as well as ongoing support from the community, remains essential for us to keep our doors open so we can be there when families need us the most.  We appreciate the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for their investment in hospice palliative care across the province.”

With Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the province is making it easier for people and their families to connect to the care they need throughout their entire life, whether that’s by expanding access to services in their home or community or giving them the choice to book or take an appointment virtually, to ensure hospital and long-term beds are available when it is needed most.