The OutCare Foundation supports patients and their families by raising funds for special projects at palliative care organizations across Eastern Ontario. With input from the Champlain Hospice Palliative Care Program (our regional palliative care program), OutCare identifies the most pressing needs so that regardless of which organization families turn to for help, they receive the quality care they need and deserve.
By funding projects that address the priorities below, OutCare donors are helping to ensure that more support is available for patients and their families at a time when they need it most.
Providing Care When and Where it is Needed
70% of Canadians who need palliative care cannot access it(1)
Far too often members of our community are dying without access to the comforts offered by palliative care. Everyone should be able to receive the best care possible, particularly at end-of-life. The OutCare Foundation is committed to making more palliative care and support services available to patients in their homes and in the home-like setting of a hospice. We are dedicated to helping organizations provide patients with the right care, at the right time, in the right setting – the setting of their choice.
Supporting Families, Caregivers and Volunteers
Unpaid caregivers and volunteers play a crucial role in palliative care
In many instances the family members who become caregivers for palliative patients receive minimal support. Help can sometimes require so much coordination that there is little time for a much-needed break. The other unpaid members of the palliative care team who are not always supported or recognized as they should be are the dedicated volunteers. The OutCare Foundation is committed to helping palliative care organizations to offer more programs and services specifically targeted to the needs of family members, friends and volunteers. We recognize the role that family caregivers and volunteers play in palliative care and hope that by focusing on their needs, it will make it easier for them to focus on the patient.
Connecting People to Information
Access to information improves palliative care
Often, it can be hard to find the care and help that is available for palliative patients. It can be equally challenging for the knowledgeable healthcare providers to share valuable information with other members of the patient’s healthcare team. The OutCare Foundation is committed to helping the palliative care network of organizations and experts to improve system navigation for everyone. Better access to information will result in improved palliative care.
Expanding Knowledge through Education
Education has a powerful impact on the quality of patient care
The OutCare Foundation is committed to expanding knowledge by funding more training initiatives and by encouraging innovative research. Students, healthcare providers and caregivers need training to further develop their skills. Targeted research contributes to improvements in palliative care. By focusing on education we know that patients will benefit from better care.
(1) Senator Sharon Carstairs, Raising the Bar: A Roadmap for the Future of Palliative Care in Canada, June 2010