Does Brampton Need A Hospice Centre?

Published February 11, 2019 at 1:33 pm

Brampton seems to be in need of a number of services: transit, infrastructure, and definitely health care.

Brampton seems to be in need of a number of services: transit, infrastructure, and definitely health care. Peel Memorial is a health care, not an actual hospital, while Brampton Civic is severely under resourced; many people have called for a third hospital to be built in the city.

But what about hospice care, and did you know there are currently no residential hospice beds in Brampton?

During a recent council meeting, Brampton councillors got a presentation from the Kay Blair Residential Hospice who want to open a hospice in the city. They outlined the need for hospice care, such as how many bed are needed.As well as how much money they need.The hospice representatives concluded saying 89 per cent of people polled rated residential hospices having excellent end of life care (higher than any other care setting). They also cited a 2014 Auditor General of Ontario report that said the cost of providing one day of care in hospital was $1,100, verses $460 in a residential hospice.

During their discussion, councillors brought up the benefits of a hospice centre on taking pressure off the existing health system in Brampton, as well as looking at green space which would provide an opportunity for expansion.

A motion was passed to look at providing possible surplus city lands for either a 12 or 30 bed hospice in Brampton. City staff will draft a report to be brought back to a future council meeting for consideration.

Palliative care these days is definitely just as important as the standard care people expect from their health care system. With people who are terminally or chronically ill who may be suffering from more than just physical pain, but in need of emotional and spiritual help, having a hospice dedicated to doing that could alleviate some of the pressures on the existing health care system in Brampton.

Do you think Brampton needs a hospice centre, maybe more than one, and if so where do you think it should be located?

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