Health Care Providers

End-of-life care is provided by a dedicated and compassionate team who advocate for quality palliative care for their patients and families.

The Home and Community Care (Erie St.  Clair Local Health Integration Network – ESC LHIN) completes the Residential Hospice referral process and determines eligibility. Admissions are based on collaboration and planning between Home and Community Care and the Chatham-Kent Hospice, for determining suitability based on individual care needs.

If your patient is in hospital at either campus of Chatham Kent Health Alliance, a referral may be made to the Palliative/Supportive Care Team, who will work with the ESC LHIN Home & Community Care Coordinator to determine eligibility for Hospice and/or community services, and develop a plan of care.  In some cases, the patient may be able to return home with community services until they are closer to end of life and ready for admission to hospice.

If Hospice is the preferred place for the patient’s end of life plan of care, the ESC LHIN Community Care Coordinator will determine eligibility and complete a Hospice application.  The LHIN CC will collaborate with the Palliative Care Consult Team (PCCT) and the Hospice team regularly to provide ongoing supportive services at home or in Hospital, and determine the suitable time for a Hospice admission.

Hospice eligibility includes that the patient has  a Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) of 40% or below and a prognosis of less than 3 months, although many factors are taken into consideration for admissions.  Please see the attached for on Hospice eligibility for further information.

It is important that potential residents and families to understand prior to admission to Hospice, that hospice palliative care focuses on pain and symptom management, comfort and dignity. Active or life sustaining treatments are no longer provided (e.g. chemotherapy, medical tests, IV fluids, blood transfusions etc…).

The provincial average for residential hospice stay is 2 to 3 weeks. At Chatham-Kent Hospice, residents are made aware upon admission that should their condition stabilize and extend their life expectancy beyond three months, there may be a discussion with the care team about a more appropriate care environment which could include returning home for a period of time or placement in another assisted environment.

Click here to download the Hospice Admission Guidelines.