News from the Niagara West-Glanbrook Riding Constituency Office of MPP Sam Oosterhoff
Posted November 27th, 2017 on Niagara At Large
Niagara West-Glanbrook MPP Sam Oosterhoff
Queen’s Park, Toronto – Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West-Glanbrook today introduces his first Private Member’s Bill, the Compassionate Care Act. The Act would establish a hospice palliative care framework and begin to address the critical need for increased care in Ontario.
Hospice palliative care helps people who are living with or dying from a serious, life-limiting illness, as well as their family and caregivers. The goal is to relieve pain and suffering, and to improve a person’s quality of life, regardless of the setting.
“I have been encouraged to see the genuine and meaningful care that is currently offered to those who are in hospice palliative care,” said Oosterhoff. “We need to spread the word about palliative care and to make it more accessible.”
While Ontario currently needs 1,300 hospice and palliative care beds, there are only 341 hospice beds across the province.
“This is about creating more capacity for palliative care- more beds, more care – without compromising the quality of care and local community support we currently have,” said Oosterhoff.
Oosterhoff was joined by Mahoganie Hines, RN and Palliative Pain & Symptom Management Consultant from Niagara, Pamela Blackwood, Executive Director of McNally House Hospice and Rick Firth, President & CEO of Hospice Palliative Care Ontario. Seven other health care organizations have already endorsed the bill.
“The support for this initiative shows that this bill meets a real need,” concluded Oosterhoff. “Seniors and those battling with illness deserve to know that compassionate health care will be there when they need it. I am looking forward to receiving support from all parties on this bill.”
Visit http://www.ontariopalliativecare.ca for more information.
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