Updated: June 2019

Palliative Care

Our goal at CAMA is to ensure that every resident has their comfort care needs met so that the highest level of functioning can be obtained, ensuring the best quality of life. Our team of caregivers include nurses, PSWs, dietary staff, our Chaplain, physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, physiotherapists and recreational therapists.

We encourage all our residents to discuss important decisions regarding their care in the event they cannot speak for themselves, with family members or their substitute decision makers. By doing this our team will be able to provide and meet care needs as directed by the resident themselves.

We believe it is important to keep families involved with end of life decisions and care. Nursing and Physician staff will keep in close touch with families, regarding any change of care delivery needed to maintain comfort, and with resident responses to those changes. We provide end of life personal care support, meeting physical needs, as well as emotional, social and spiritual support. We provide a palliative care cart that is at the resident’s bedside with all the small, but important care supplies. We provide such items as creams, lotions, mouth-care supplies, CD player with the resident’s favourite music, reading material, spiritual reading support and more. Families are encouraged to bring in their loved one’s favourite scents, bath care supplies, night gowns and anything else that would bring comfort to their loved one.

Our team provides sleeping arrangements for family members to stay overnight in order to be close to their loved one. A white dove will be placed on the resident’s door to indicate to staff and visitors that this resident and their family need to be provided quiet and private time. Our Chaplain is available for spiritual support at any time.

Once your loved one has passed, CAMA arranges for a Code Purple. This is a small ceremony for staff to pay their last respects to our resident and your loved one, as they leave our home for the final time. It is our way of paying tribute to them, and to thank them for entrusting their care to us in their final leg of life’s journey. This takes place at the front entrance of the home.

It is our honour and privilege to care for every resident, and we thank our CAMA families as well as for allowing us to do so.

For more information about our Palliative Care practice, please contact Aida Jazavac, Director of Care at (905) 681-6441 x 118.