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Living with Advancing Illness and Changing Needs Care at Home Using a Palliative Approach Palliative Supports at Home Other Palliative Care Support Options Hospice Societies and Associations in Interior Health

Choosing Supportive & Palliative Care Options

Learn about the various care options that support you to live well and manage your symptoms in advancing illness, and as you near the end of life.

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Living with Advancing Illness and Changing Needs

The palliative journey describes how people living with advancing illness and/or nearing end of life, and their family and caregivers receive care from the formal health-care system and other community support services.

Living with an advancing illness and new symptoms often require frequent visits to clinics, doctors’ offices, treatment centres, and may include stays in hospitals and other health care settings. Early discussions to explore the best setting to support your changing health care needs and choices are helpful.

Interior Health is committed to helping you and your family live well with advancing illness in your home community for as long as you wish. Most people prefer to remain in their home for as long as possible, including support to die at home if this is their choice. See more details below.

Learn more about caregiving for people living with an advancing illness

Care at Home Using a Palliative Approach

You may be living with an advancing illness for many years and experiencing changes in your health that require you to have more help and support to continue to stay at home. The health services that support you use a ‘palliative approach.’ Recall that the word ‘palliative’ does not mean imminently dying. Rather, it is intended to support your quality of life and manage your symptoms so that you can live well.

Explore more about Home and Community Care Services.

Palliative Supports at Home

As your illness advances, your doctor or nurse practitioner will have serious illness conversations with you about your current condition and what the future holds. When you hear your life expectancy is likely to be six to 12 months, it is time to start actively planning where you want to receive palliative care services at the end of your life. Many people wish to remain and die at home, if possible. In British Columbia, home-based palliative care services are provided by nurses, care aides, social workers, rehabilitation therapists, respiratory therapists and community paramedics in your home.

You are eligible to receive home-based palliative care services if you:

  • Have been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness and a life expectancy of six months or less

  • Understand the philosophy of palliative care and are willing to accept and participate with this supportive approach to care that focuses on comfort

  • Understand the serious nature of your illness and agree that resuscitation is not desired, and your doctor or nurse practitioner have discussed this with you and signed a Medical Order for Scope of Treatment (M1, M2 or M3 levels);

  • Are registered with the BC Palliative Care Benefits (no charge for most medication, medical equipment, supplies and nursing care)

Speak with your doctor or nurse practitioner, home health nurse or other health professional to start this conversation about how to best support you if you wish to die at home.

Types of Home-based Palliative Services

The health professionals will regularly assess your care needs as they change. They will work together with you to manage pain and other symptoms, provide emotional and spiritual support, and plan the care provided in the home to meet the unique needs of you and your family.

Other services that they may provide include teaching family and caregivers how to give direct physical care (e.g., bathing, turning, mouth care, managing incontinence, etc.), prescribing medical equipment and supplies that make caregiving easier (e.g., beds, lifts, etc.), and organizing someone to come into the home so your caregiver may have a break (palliative respite). Community Health Workers can provide you with basic personal care (e.g., washing, dressing, toileting, moving), medication and help with meals. Hospice volunteers and other community members who visit may provide psychological, emotional and spiritual care and connection for you and your family.

The days and hours of professional health services vary by community across Interior Health, and are supplemented with the provincial After Hours Palliative Nursing Service. This is a provincial telephone service available 365 days per year from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. that you can call to discuss any questions or concerns about your care. Ask your Home Health nurse for the brochure with the provincial toll-free number.

Planning a Home Death

As death approaches, Home Health nursing will actively work with your caregivers to ensure your symptoms are well managed and you remain comfortable. This may involve frequent home visits, providing education to yourself and to your caregiver and frequent communication between all members of your health care team, yourself and/or your Substitute Decision Maker.

In British Columbia an expected home death requires some planning and conversation with your doctor or nurse practitioner, and your Home Health nurse. In this province there is no legal requirement for the doctor or nurse practitioner to come to your home to pronounce your death.

However, two forms (Expected Death in the Home and MOST) signed by your doctor or nurse practitioner are needed to communicate appropriately with the Funeral Home and/or the BC Emergency Health Service (Ambulance).

Other Palliative Care Support Options

Community Hospice Beds

In British Columbia, you can access a community hospice bed to receive palliative respite care or to stabilize your symptoms and then return home. Or you may wish to be in a community hospice bed during the last days or weeks of your life as a chosen place to die.

These types of beds are located in free standing hospice houses (where available), or in long-term care facilities where rooms are specifically designed to be more “hospice-like.” Speak with your Home Health nurse to learn the current per diem (per day) fee associated with these beds or your options to apply for a temporary rate reduction.

Here is where you can find a local hospice or long-term care facility to search for Community Hospice Beds.

Hospital-based Palliative Care

Hospitals are reserved for brief admissions to assist with pain and symptom management, with a plan to then go back home or to an alternate site such as a community hospice bed. In some situations, and when there are no other options available, a person may die in hospital to remain in their home community and close to loved ones.

Several Interior Health hospitals offer a “hospice-like” environment to better support patients and their families. You can ask local hospital staff if a palliative room is available in your community.

Hospice Societies and Associations in Interior Health

Interior Health is fortunate to have many hospice societies and organizations within Interior Health. Hospice societies and associations offer invaluable services to their local communities including volunteer support, grief counselling, advance care planning workshops, and much, much more.

Click on the Hospice organizations list drop down below to view a list of hospice societies in the region or view a digital version.

You can also check online or in your local phone book to identify the closest Hospice Society or Association to you. It is never too early to contact hospice for information, education and support throughout the palliative journey, or in any setting of care.

Hospice organizations list

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