Palliative Care

Palliative care enhances the quality of life of people who have a life-limiting illness. It does this by preventing and relieving suffering. 

In addition to helping the patient, palliative care helps a family cope during their loved one’s illness and death, and during the grief process

Horizon provides comprehensive palliative care services throughout New Brunswick to enhance the quality of life for individuals with serious illness and to provide support for families. Palliative care services can begin at the time of diagnosis or in the final weeks or months of life.

Horizon’s interdisciplinary palliative care team offers:

• Specialized medical care for pain and symptom management
• Guidance for treatment decisions
• Psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual support
• Financial, legal and practical information
• Family, caregiver and bereavement support

Palliative care is not necessarily provided by a team that only becomes involved at the end of your life. It is ideally provided by the people who know patients the most, working together with experts when they are needed.

The palliative care team may include a wide variety of health care professionals. The team can be as big as the needs of the person as they work collectively towards meeting personalized goals.

How do I access palliative care services?

Speak to your primary care provider about the benefits of pursuing a palliative approach to care.

Family physicians, nurse practitioners, as well as other frontline care providers (including care coordinators, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and spiritual care providers) all play a role in providing palliative care.

These providers can access support from a palliative care team, providers who specialize in complex care planning and symptom management. Their support can complement the care that patients receive from their primary care provider and other members of the care team but is not meant to replace it. 

Partners in Care

Strong collaborative relationships with partners in the community help provide patients and families with a variety of resources that support care outside of the hospital.

• New Brunswick Extramural Program
• Local hospices:
  • Moncton Area: Maison Albert House
  • Saint John Area: Bobby’s Hospice
  • Fredericton Area: Hospice House
  • Miramichi Area:
    • Hospice Miramichi (Vondy House)
    • Percy’s Place

Resources for Patients and Families

Palliative Care is best provided early and alongside other treatments for a serious illness. There are a number of resources that can help throughout the illness journey.

Resources for Grieving Children and Adolescents

Supporting grieving children can be challenging, particularly if you’re grieving your own life-limiting illness or the dying or death of someone close to you. Children’s grief isn’t always obvious since they grieve differently from adults. The list of books below can help you help the children in your lives understand and process their grief.