George’s House
The promising practice summaries were created to profile leading innovative equity-oriented palliative care models from across the country.
- Topics
- Health equity
- Primary and community care
- Audience
Quality or safety improvement lead
Point of care provider
Healthcare leader
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Many current models of palliative care are not prepared to meet the needs of people who are vulnerably housed, staying in shelters or living in outdoor spaces. The healthcare system can make inequities worse as people who are already structurally vulnerable can experience stigma, discrimination and racism when accessing care. There are often barriers to diagnosis, treatment and support needs, which means that health conditions that could be preventable or treatable may become life threatening.
The health outcomes of people experiencing homelessness are in stark contrast to the general population, with substantially greater risk of disease, morbidity and mortality. The Federal Action Plan on Palliative Care highlights the importance of taking action to improve access to palliative care for underserved populations, including improving access to culturally safe and appropriate care. Equity-oriented care recognizes system barriers and seeks to address them to ensure access to high-quality care.
In response, communities across Canada have designed innovative models of equity-oriented palliative care to improve access to safe and high-quality palliative care for those experiencing structural vulnerabilities. These models ensure care is delivered in a timely way, help reduce emergency department visits and hospital admissions and allow people to receive care with dignity in their environment of their choice.
These summaries offer details about:
how the promising practice works
partnerships and collaborations
evaluation and impacts
lessons learned, including enablers and challenges
About this Promising Practice
George's House offers a secure, communal-living environment in a quiet neighborhood for those nearing end of life and facing the risk of houselessness. With capacity to assist up to five clients, residents receive 24-hour care in a home-like setting, complemented by in-reach clinical support, and dedicated services from George Spady staff and Alberta Health Services Palliative Care specialists.
Program: Improving Equity Access in Palliative Care
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
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Improving Equity in Access to Palliative Care
Improving Equity in Access to Palliative Care brings together diverse perspectives and experiences, including people with lived and living experiences to design, implement and evaluate initiatives that will improve access to equity-oriented palliative care. These initiatives ensure care is delivered in a timely way, reducing emergency department visits and hospital admissions and allowing to people to receive care with dignity in the environment of their choice.