Patient resources

Community bulletin board 

This bulletin board is located on the palliative care unit and contains a variety of information you and your family may find useful or of interest. Here, you may find letters from hospital administration, various resources in the community such as bereavement support groups and more.

Palliative care consult team

The palliative care consult team is a team of interdisciplinary health care professionals who work throughout Sunnybrook with special skills in palliative care. The team provides special knowledge about managing patient and family needs and expectations whether these needs are physical, psychological, social or spiritual. The team also has a distinct function as an educational resource for Sunnybrook, a University of Toronto fully affiliated teaching institution, for other professional care providers and for the public. 

Discharge planning

We have a discharge planning policy when a patient requires another level of care. If a patient is considered to be stable and will be expected to exceed a three month stay on the palliative care unit, discharge plans will include a required number of choices as per the discharge planning policy. Copayment charges will also apply after three months on the unit. Please see the unit social worker for more information.

End-of-life planning: finances

There may be financial assistance available to you or your family at this time of your illness, or after your death. 
If assistance is needed in this regard, contact the Social Worker for more information.

• Financial programs funded through the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, and Employment Insurance, are outlined on the Government of Canada website.
• Some patients may be eligible for financial assistance from the Ontario Government through The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).
• For those who may be eligible for Social Assistance through the City of Toronto, please click on the Toronto Social Services website.

End-of-life planning: power of attorney, substitute decision makers & wills

A Power of Attorney document can help you decide who will be making either financial or health care decisions if you are unable to do this yourself.  A free Power of Attorney Kit may be obtained from your Social Worker or from the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee.

If you become unable to make health care decisions and a Power of Attorney document has not been signed, a Substitute Decision Maker may be required for your care. Learn more about Substitute Decision Makers.

A will ensures that your estate is distributed the way you want it to be. It is recommended that a lawyer assist you prepare your will. Lawyers can be referred through the Law Society of Upper Canada.

End-of-life planning: funerals

No matter what the stage of your disease, it is never easy to make funeral plans. Pre-planning ensures that arrangements are meaningful to yourself and your family, and avoids decision-making at a time of emotional crisis.  If you wish, either the Social Worker or the Chaplain on the Palliative Care Unit can help you with choosing a funeral home based on your criteria, and can assist you with understanding some of the financial issues associated with making funeral plans.

The Chaplain and the Social Worker on K1E have developed a resource to assist with funeral home decision making: A Guide to Toronto Funeral Homes ( 912 kb pdf file)

Some other useful websites for choosing a funeral home in Ontario include the following:

• Obituaries Today
• Board of Funeral Services
• Funeral Advisory Memorial Society