Palliative care enhances the quality of life of people with a life-limiting illness. It does this by preventing and relieving suffering.
- Palliative care includes
- Support for patients, family members and caregivers during the patient’s illness and death, and during the grief process
- Help with decisions about treatments
- Expert medical care to help with pain and other symptoms at home or in hospital
- End-of-life care
- Social, physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual support
- Support for family, friends and caregivers
- Trained volunteers to enhance the patient experience at Nova Scotia Health sites
- Grief support
Many people think that palliative care is only provided in the last weeks s of life, when curative treatments are no longer available. A palliative approach to care can help people early in their illness. It can start at diagnosis, when treatments are taking place and there may still be many months and years left to live.
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.
How do I access services?
Family physicians and front-line care providers, including care co-ordinators, 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.
Contacts by region:
Annapolis Valley Palliative Care
Phone: 902-542-6303
Fax: 902-542-6607
Cape Breton County, Northern and Central Inverness County and Victoria County
Phone: 902-567-7846
Fax: 902-567-7962
Colchester County and Municipality of East Hants Palliative Care
Phone: 902-896-2612
Fax: 902-896-2608
Cumberland County Palliative Care
Phone: 902-667-5400 ext 6344
Fax: 902-667-1012
Digby, Shelburne and Yarmouth Counties Palliative Care
Yarmouth : Phone: 902-749-4481
Fax: 902 749 1735
Digby: 902-245-1304
Shelburne : Phone:(902) 875 4508
Guysborough Memorial Palliative Care
Phone: 902- 533-3702 – ext 3230
Fax: 902- 533- 4066
Guysborough, Antigonish and Richmond Counties and Southern Inverness Counties
Phone: 902-863-2830 ext. 4419 or 4566
Fax: 902-867-3777
Email: pallcarereferralsez-gasha@nshealth.ca
Halifax Regional Municipality (not including IWK Health Centre)
- Inpatient and outpatient consultative services: Phone: 902-473-2132
- Palliative Care Inpatient Unit (VG-7A) Phone: 902-473-3119
- Palliative Care Bereavement Coordinator: Phone: 902-473-1622
- Palliative Care Volunteer Coordinator: Phone: 902-219-1856
Pictou County Palliative Care
Phone: 902-752-7600 x4190/2022
Fax: 902-755-7315
South Shore Area Palliative Care
Phone: 902-634-7529
Fax: (902) 527-5413
St. Mary's Memorial Palliative Care
Phone: 902- 522-2882 ext 240
Fax: 902- 522-2556
Strait Richmond Palliative Care
Phone: 902- 625-7211
Fax: 902- 625-2202
Tri-facilities (Eastern Shore / Musquodoboit Harbour / Middle Musquodoboit)
Phone: 902-889-4185
Fax: 902-425-6778
West Hants
Phone: 902-792-2255
Fax: 902-425-6778
Looking for information on hospice care?
You can find local supports in your area here.
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