Services

Hospitalized patients

St. Mary’s Hospital has six beds dedicated to palliative care patients. Staff trained in palliative medicine provides care aimed at optimizing quality of life and comfort to individuals with life-limiting illnesses. St. Mary’s is an acute care hospital; therefore, we collaborate with palliative care homes, community palliative care units, and the CLSC community health centres to determine where patients can receive care beyond the hospital when appropriate. 

Our palliative care physicians oversee the care of admitted palliative patients, and provide consultation services in the emergency room and to admitted patients throughout the hospital. Common consultation topics include a review of the care options for patients with a serious illness and suggestions to optimize symptom management. The physician will ensure continuity of care in the outpatient clinic, when appropriate.

Outpatient cancer care clinic  

Our outpatient clinic is focused on caring for patients living with cancer. We have patients that are receiving treatment aimed at prolonging life, such as immunotherapy or chemotherapy, as well as patients whose care is focused entirely on comfort. Services for all patients include the following.

Goals of care and advance care planning consultation.

We help patients and their loved ones to better understand their illness, and explore their needs and wishes for the present and the future. We provide support with advanced care planning, setting goals of care, and ensuring that patients are aware of legal matters, such as a substitute decision maker or a will. 

In discussing goals of care, the physician will review the patient’s understanding of their illness and the treatment they are receiving. The physician will also explore with the patient their values and wishes concerning their care, including preferences regarding medical care and interventions that might be required in the future. The physician will ensure that the patient’s wishes are reflected in the treatment plans. See Advance care planning.

Symptom management

We help manage symptoms including, but not limited to, pain, shortness of breath, nausea, appetite loss, constipation, fatigue, anxiety, depression and existential distress. Our physicians can suggest nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatments, and they collaborate with various team members to help with counselling and therapy. 

Specialized treatments

We collaborate with other institutions for certain specialized treatments, such as radiotherapy and interventional procedures (e.g., nerve blocks to control certain kinds of pain). Commonly, we work with the radiotherapy departments at the Montreal University Health Centre (MUHC) and the Jewish General Hospital, as well as the Cancer Pain Clinic at the MUHC.

Homecare services

We work closely with homecare services and other associated health professionals to ensure that patients can stay at home as long as possible. If a patient’s ability to do certain household tasks or take care of themselves diminishes during the course of an illness, CLSCs and community groups—such as The Palliative Home-Care Society of Greater Montreal, NOVA homecare services and NOVA West Island palliative and oncology care—can help make adaptations in the home to facilitate activities.

Caregiver support

We recognize that caregivers play a central role in the support and care of patients who are at home. We provide a wide variety of support to caregivers, depending on their needs.