Hospice Palliative Care Week 2021 | Awareness campaign and gift match to double your impact
2 May 2021
May 2nd to 8th marks Hospice Palliative Care Week in Canada. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness about palliative care, to highlight the impact La Maison des Collines has in local communities, and this year in particular, to take a moment to remember those who have passed, as well as appreciate those who have made this difficult year a little brighter by shining a light on those who matter to us most.
Whether it is our loved ones or those working and volunteering in palliative care, La Maison des Collines recognizes the efforts made this year and wants to highlight those who matter most. So along with the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCS), we invite you to light a candlelight, porch light, or spotlight on May 7th between 7–8 PM in honour of the light of your lives.
And until May 8th, if you decide to make a donation to La Maison des Collines, it will go twice as far thanks to a generous donor from Chelsea who will match all donations made until then up to a total of $10,000. Last year, this donor also made a gift in honour of a friend, Janet Dunbrack, and her long career and extensive volunteering in the field of palliative care.
“Our loved ones, essential workers, palliative care workers and volunteers have been the shining lights throughout this year of uncertainty, said Julie Filion, Executive Director of La Maison des Collines. “This week in particular, we want to show our gratitude to these individuals and help bring palliative care to light by dispelling myths surrounding it.”
Education about palliative care is a big part of what La Maison des Collines is all about. “People have different beliefs, fears and expectations concerning palliative care,” said Dr. David Ian Gold, Chair of the Board of La Maison des Collines. “Palliative care can have such a positive 
impact on people’s lives. Everyone should be able to receive the benefit of a restorative touch, a listening ear and experience the particular comfort that comes from being part of a caring community.” Some believe that palliative care is only for people with cancer. At La Maison des Collines, care is provided for patients in the final stage of their life, regardless of their diagnosis. In fact, palliative care is more about an approach rather than a place. Services can be provided in a variety of settings, often at home.
If you or a loved one feel that palliative care might be right for you, start the conversation with your healthcare provider to find out more about it. Remember that the aim of palliative care is to improve quality of life for patients and their families and the right moment to start it depends on the person. There’s no right age either. Palliative care is for people of all ages from infancy to adulthood.
Please share your thoughts, questions, and concerns with us so that together we can continue to help improve access to and raise awareness of palliative care.
About La Maison des Collines
La Maison des Collines (MDC) is a centre of excellence in palliative care, with a team of professionals offering support to patients and their families at every stage of the end-of-life process. Learn more at lamaisondescollines.org.
La Maison des Collines opened its doors on April 4th, 2019. Since then, more than 200 people have been admitted and cared for in our palliative care home. Our goal has always been to offer a welcoming environment where patients and caregivers are treated with respect, where pain and other symptoms are addressed with diligence, and where individuals receive the emotional, social, and psychological support they need. If you haven’t had a chance yet to visit the home, we invite you to take a virtual tour (English version of video will follow shortly).
Information: Julie Filion, Executive Director | 819.459.1233 poste 2 | dg@lamaisondescollines.org
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