Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care

Palliative Care

POPC Overview | Our Team

Palliative care is an approach to improve the quality of life of patients and their families facing life threatening illness, through the prevention, assessment and treatment of pain and other physical, psychosocial and spiritual problems (WHO, 2004).

Specifically, we can help you with:

• Pain management
• Management of other symptoms (e.g. nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, constipation)
• Coping with your situation
• Arranging nursing and/or physician support at home
• Future planning issues

Palliative Care Team
The Palliative Care team provides an interdisciplinary approach to patient care. According to an individual or their family’s needs the team may include physicians, nurses, advanced practice nurses, pharmacists, social workers, chaplains, volunteers, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists.

Palliative Care Services
Palliative Care is provided at all three sites at UHN in the following ways:

PMH	• •	A 12-bed Inpatient Palliative Care Unit Outpatient Palliative Care Clinics Palliative Care Consultation Service for both inpatients and outpatientsPalliative Care
TGH	•	Consultation Service for inpatients, outpatients and patients in the Emergency Room
TWH	•	Palliative Care Consultation Service for inpatients and patients in the Emergency Room

Palliative Care Resources
The following are Web sites with information on coping with cancer.

• Caring to the End of Life
• Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association

To contact Palliative Care, please call (416) 946-2135.