About

Welcome to the Claresholm Palliative Care Website developed by our Claresholm Palliative Care Committee.

The purpose of this website to assist people and/or families living with, or at risk of developing, a life-threatening illness, navigate palliative care options and services in our community. We want you to know what help is available and that you are not alone.

The Claresholm Palliative Committee is comprised of volunteer community members and staff from Claresholm General Hospital, Willow Creek Continuing Care Centre and Claresholm Home Care.

What is Palliative Care?

In Canada, both hospice care and palliative care are used to refer to the same thing, however, some people use hospice care to describe care that is offered in the community rather than in hospitals.

Palliative care aims to relieve suffering and improve the quality of living and dying.

Palliative care strives to help patients and families:

• address physical, psychological, social, spiritual and practical issues, and their associated expectations, needs, hopes and fear.
• prepare for and manage self-determined life closure and the dying process
• Cope with loss and grief during the illness and bereavement.

Palliative care aims to:

• treat all active issues
• prevent new issues from occurring
• Promote opportunities for meaningful and valuable experiences, personal and spiritual growth, and self-actualization.

Palliative care is appropriate for any patient and/or family living with, or at risk of developing, a life-threatening illness due to any diagnosis, with any prognosis, regardless of age, and at any time they have unmet expectations and/or needs, and are prepared to accept care.

Palliative care may complement and enhance disease-modifying therapy or it may become the total focus of care.

A Model to Guide Hospice Palliative Care
© Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, Ottawa, Canada, 2002.

Where can I access Palliative Care in Claresholm?

Palliative Care is offered in many areas within the community including in your home, in the hospital, and in continuing care.