Terminally-ill patients living in palliative care facilities are especially vulnerable to COVID-19. The country’s largest private palliative care facility in Kirkland, Que., went above and beyond government protocols to keep their patients and staff safe.
The move has proven to be successful, but the concern now is that those strict safety measures are changing the face of palliative care. “To give a patient a hug, to give a family member a hug when their mom and their dad or their sister is dying, it’s really important.
We haven’t been able to do that,” said Manuella Piovesan, clinical care director at the West Island Palliative Care Residence (WIPCR). “I believe it’s important to hold someone’s hand.