At the CISSS de la Montérégie-Ouest, palliative and end-of-life care are provided at home, at palliative care residences, at long-term care centres (CHSLD), and at the hospitals.
Palliative care is the care provided to people who are suffering from a terminal illness. The goal of palliative care is to alleviate the person’s physical and mental suffering by focusing on the time they have left. The care and services provided are intended to preserve your autonomy for as long as possible, while respecting your decisions, wishes and beliefs.
Our team of professionals works with you and your loved ones to make sure you are as comfortable and pain-free as possible. They support and assist you and your family through all the stages of grief related to a terminal illness.
Click here for a list of facilities that offer this service.
Who are these services for?
The services are for people of all ages, with all conditions, who are in the preterminal or terminal stage of an incurable disease. The care and services are adapted to the user’s needs, preferences and values, in accordance with their wishes. Palliative care is provided in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team and a medical team and includes input from the user and their family.
The integrated palliative and end-of-life care program is subject to the provisions of the Act respecting end-of-life care, which provides for:
- Continuous palliative sedation;
- Advance medical directives;
- Medical aid in dying.
Palliative care at home
Based on an assessment of the user’s needs, workers from our CLSC will provide palliative care to people who want to stay at home for as long as possible. This option is preferred for as long as home care remains possible and safe for the patient and their loved ones.
Care provided:
- Medical follow-up;
- Nursing care;
- Hygiene and comfort care;
- Psychosocial support for the patient and caregivers;
- Respiratory therapy;
- Occupational therapy;
- Nutrition services;
- Physiotherapy;
- Complementary therapies;
- Equipment loans;
- Caregiver support and respite;
- Training workshops for caregivers.
Institution-based palliative care
Palliative and end-of-life care is available at all times at our institutions, namely the long‑term care centres (CHSLDs) for residents, or the hospitals for inpatients. We also have dedicated beds for palliative and end-of-life care patients, with an approach tailored to their condition.
To access palliative care resources, speak to a home care worker or a hospital staff member.
Whether home- or institution-based, the services are provided by:
- care teams made up of nurses, auxiliary nurses, patient attendants, or health and social services assistants;
- teams of professionals: occupational therapist, physiotherapist, social workers, psychologists, and spiritual care professionals;
- volunteers;
- nurse consultants specialized in palliative care.
Spiritual care professionals can also help you achieve a measure of inner peace, from a religious or non-religious perspective.
Note that the services may differ depending on the location.
Medical aid in dying and continuous palliative sedation
Users who meet the criteria stipulated in the Act and who make the request can obtain medical aid in dying, either at home, at the hospital, or in one of our dedicated beds. Note that the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Palliative Care Residence does not offer medical aid in dying. Users can receive continuous palliative sedation in all care settings, according to the criteria in the Act.
Act respecting end-of-life care
Introduced on December 10, 2015, the Act respecting end-of-life care establishes new obligations for healthcare institutions.
Requests for aid must be submitted to the attending physicians, who will begin the process according to the steps set out in the Act.
For more information about the Act respecting end-of-life care, visit the Government of Québec’s Portail santé mieux-être.