NEWS RELEASE
MATTHEWS HOUSE HOSPICE
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The Compassionate Care Act receives royal assent and is now passed into law in Ontario. Improving access to palliative care in all care settings for all ages is gaining momentum in the province.
The act passed Dec. 2 in the Ontario legislature, when fully implemented, will enable every citizen to be able to access hospice services. The act aims to enable people of all ages to know when they need assistance with living fully in spite of a life limiting health condition including mental health issues to feel well until they die, and enable providers and caregivers to know how and when to support people in their community.
Matthews House Hospice chief executive officer Kim Woodland was at Queen’s Park “virtually” last Tuesday morning to speak with MPPs across the province about supporting the passing of this important legislation.
Kim Woodland states, “We know that here in South Simcoe we will serve at least 3000 people including kids and youth, who seek to live fully every day by participating in our day programs and counselling supports across the region.”
Many of these are people who would otherwise have to go to hospital. And we know they’d rather be at home in their community, receiving compassionate supports for both themselves and their families, says Matthews House Hospice CEO, Kim Woodland. “The Passing of this Act is a good first step in ensuring access to Hospice Care, and we must do more.”
Right now, qualified therapy, counselling and nursing supports as well as trained hospice volunteers support compassionate care from the Hospice Hub in all of our surrounding communities in South Simcoe supported by the generosity of our donors, partnerships and the donation of community spaces by municipalities and local businesses.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for services at home, including nursing outreach, professional counselling for mental health needs and bereavement services, has more than doubled in our South Simcoe region. At Matthews House, these services are primarily provided through the generosity of our donors. Across the province, hospice care represented approximately .3 per cent of the budget for healthcare, prior to the beginning of the pandemic.
The Compassionate Care Act is the first step on the road to ensuring everyone has access to quality hospice care, and Matthews House Hospice board chair Steve Aelick states: “Its timing during the pandemic could not be better, for the citizens in South Simcoe County, in order to shed light on the urgent need for provincial support.”
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