CONTACT OUR MEMBERS

The Hospice Association of Ontario has experienced an explosive growth rate – from 9 members in 1989 to more than 180 hospice, associate and individual members today. This represents an overall growth rate of more than 1,000%. Ontario’s hospices are the largest direct service providers within the voluntary health care sector, and the Hospice Association of Ontario is Canada’s largest volunteer hospice organization.

HAO MEMBER PROGRAMS & SERVICES

Hospice care means caring for the whole person – and for their family – and includes the following elements.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

Providing emotional support to both clients and their family members is central to everything that hospice does. This support includes supporting every family member in a way that responds to their particular needs. It also includes encouraging clients to take active roles in their own care, acting as an advocate by ensuring the clients’ wishes are respected and discussing illness openly with the entire family and with the client.

RESPITE CARE

Caring for an ill person is both a rewarding and a difficult and draining experience – emotionally and physically. In addition to providing a "friendly ear" to caregivers, having a hospice volunteer in the home also means that caregivers can take some time off and take care of themselves.

SPIRITUAL SUPPORT

Spiritual support within hospice care grows out of recognition of the sacred aspect of life and death. Hospices support people in their search for spirituality regardless of their approach or faith.

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT

Hospices support the entire family in dealing with death. They play a supportive role in helping people to understand the process of grieving, being there and understanding that everyone grieves differently, and acknowledging and remembering both the life and the death of a loved one.

COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION
WITH OTHER AGENCIES

Hospices of all sizes have been extremely successful at developing and coordinating collaborative services with other community agencies including nursing and home care agencies, pain specialists, nursing agencies, hospitals and physicians.

There is so often a gap between what people living with terminal illness and their families need to live in comfort and dignity and what they actually receive.

In an age of near miracles brought by high-technology medicine, there is still the need for people to have relief from pain, to have caring people who understand, to enjoy simple companionship when it is so desperately needed. Hospice volunteers help to satisfy these very basic and very important needs.

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES

Hospice Members
Hospice Members are hospices created by community initiative and organized and directed by a volunteer board of directors.

Individual Members
Individual Members are individuals who are interested in the objects of the corporation; the Hospice Association of Ontario.

Associate Members
Associate Members are not-for-profit groups, organizations and/or professional bodies with an interst in hospice palliative care.