The highest standard of person-centered care is always our priority for our residents, and this continues with our palliative care program. The angels at Queens Avenue Retirement Residence best do special, customized care and comfort at the end of life. It offers peace of mind to both families and Residents, knowing they will be looked after with kind and gentle care by the staff they already know, in the comfort of the residents’ own suite.
What is Palliative Care Like at a Senior Retirement Community?
Palliative care is the care given to a person when they are facing a life-threatening or terminal illness. Our program is highly personalized to each resident that requires it. This care is meant to maximize comfort and improve the quality of life for the receiver and their family. The principal needs for palliative care include pain and physical, cultural, psychological, social, and spiritual needs.
Our goal for our residents in palliative care is to empower them to continue to live as actively as possible, on their terms. We advocate for our residents to receive their care with us whenever possible because they’ll be cared for by people they already know and are in a familiar place.
What if My Loved One Needs Palliative Care in Your Retirement Residence?
Our care professionals will meet with you and your loved one to discuss and decide together as a team what components of care are required for the resident to be their most comfortable. We also determine who will provide the care and how it will be provided, ultimately culminating in a personalized care plan for their period of palliative care. An important consideration is whether the resident was previously using assisted living services in Oakville, or if they were living independently. Maintaining their preferred level of independence as much as possible is an important part of their care.
Some care needs that have been part of a
plan to help our residents at our senior retirement community have included:
- Bathing
- Oxygen
- Soft music
- Dim lights
- Special meals or food
- Wound care
- Toileting and portering
- Dressing and undressing
- Changing of dressing
- Prayer
- A companion to sit with
- In-bed care
- Walks outside
- Administering special medications
- Monitoring of the resident’s symptoms
Residents can go in and out of palliative care, or they may be in it for a longer period of time, so it’s important for the team formed to determine what’s needed for palliative care to meet periodically or when a new term of palliative care has begun. As much as we strive to provide the highest level of care and keep our residents with us, there are some medicines or equipment that only a hospital can provide so this is important to remember as a resident’s care continues.
A Retirement Residence Where “Care” Isn’t Just Another Word
Queens Avenue Retirement Residence prioritizes person-centered care at every stage of life. If you’d like to learn more about what we do for our residents, call us to book a tour at (905) 815-0862 or take our video tour. We look forward to hearing from you!
