Hospice West Parry Sound is part of a group that is shaping end of life care across Northern Ontario. Seven hospice volunteer visiting programs supported by the North East Local Health Integration Network have been chosen by Hospice Palliative Care Ontario to take the lead in developing performance indicators to ensure quality support for Northerners in their end of life journey. The indicators will capture the value of volunteers’ contribution to supporting patients and their families. Once developed, Hospice Palliative Care Ontario will roll the indicators out to all visiting programs across the province. Hospice volunteer visitors play a key role in supporting patients and families at a difficult time of life with about 26,000 hours of service being received by more than 1,800 palliative patients through volunteer visiting programs each year across Northeastern Ontario. Each year, the North East LHIN provides more than $600,000 to hospice and palliative care providers for volunteer visiting programs for help in relieving isolation, providing grief and loss support, and arranging advance care planning.
