Frequently Asked Questions
We know palliative care can be confusing. See below for a list of answers to frequently asked questions. And if you still can’t find what you’re looking for, contact us and we’ll be happy to help you.
The World Health Organization defines palliative care as “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.”
While cancer diagnoses represent approximately 69% of our admissions, non-cancer diagnoses including ALS, renal disease, dementia, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease and other illnesses are also common. See our admissions page to learn more about eligibility.
The Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence is an independent, community-based, non-profit institution, accredited by the Quebec government to provide palliative care services to residents of Montreal. The Residence allows terminally ill patients to live their final days in comfort and with dignity in a warm, home-like environment, close to their family, and in their community. The Residence is the largest freestanding palliative care residence in Canada. Our services are provided without charge.
Our admission process has been designed to transfer the burden away from the patients and their families, into the hands of the patient’s treating health care team. As a first step, the patient, family member, or primary caregiver must make a verbal request to the patient’s treating health care team (usually a nurse, social worker or physician). Letting someone know that you are considering a transfer to the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence is your only responsibility. Everything else will be taken over by the patient’s treating health care team.