The Philip Aziz Centre / Emily’s House is a member of Hospice Palliative Care Ontario HPCO’s Compassionate Communities Community of Practice, identifying opportunities to deliver support, information and resources about hospice palliative care (and various related topics) to our community on a broad level. We ensure active community engagement, establish partnerships to share resources and information, and explore innovative initiatives through partnerships.
We take an active approach in: caring for people; assisting people to live comfortably in their homes; connecting people to supports; raising awareness about health, well-being and end-of-life issues; develop the capacity of others by building supportive networks in the community by educating others about hospice palliative care (including paediatric care); and advocating for supports.
Listed below are some of our current initiatives:
To Educate
Educate, nurture, empower and supervise students about hospice palliative care best practices in the following fields of practice:
- Social Work (including social services workers MSW and Gerontology students)
- Community Support Workers
- System Navigators
- Nursing students
Schools:
- Windsor University
- York University
- Ryerson University
- St. Claire College
- Humber College
- George Brown College
To Support Clients/Service Recipients
These partnerships contribute to the goal of continuity of care in communities, ultimately providing direct, coordinated support to those impacted by illness, as well as their loved ones.
- Michael Garron Hospital Partnership (providing pre-screen, trained and experienced PAC volunteers to the palliative care unit at MGH to provide hospice care to the patients and support clinical staff).
- Toronto HIV/AIDS Network Partnership (co-chaired the developed and continuously co-facilitate a multiagency standardized HIV education training that allows peer/volunteer service providers to support various clients from different agencies with the same certification, with an advocacy and wellness focus).
- Sick Kids Hospital Grief and Bereavement Events Team (providing pre-screen, trained and experience PAC and EH volunteers to support families who attend grief and bereavement events facilitated by Sick Kids Hospital staff).
To Support Networks and Advocate for Services
These partnerships and network memberships help promote sector needs and ensure that recipients and potential recipients of hospice palliative care are represented in healthcare related needs assessments when supports are being developed or improved.
- East Toronto Health Partners Frail Seniors and Caregivers Steering Committee
- East Toronto Ontario Health Team (OHT) and Downtown East Ontario Health Team (OHT)
- Toronto HIV/AIDS Network (THN)
- Volunteer Toronto
- Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA)
- Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO)
Faith Communities
Mutual goals of compassion, education and service are met in these partnerships. Faith groups are given opportunities to support clients while receiving information and education on what hospice palliative care accomplishes through its legacy of service within these special communities.
- CITC (Church in The City / Church in The Canary)
- C3 Church
- Elevation Church
- Scarborough Sai Centre
- Grace Church on The Hill
- Order of St. Lazarus
- St. John’s Presbyterian Church
Community Contributions
We are grateful to the generosity of the following groups who support our clients with important resources and encourage our clients of all ages.
- Comfy Cases
- St. John Ambulance
- VibeArts
- Givex
- Wishplay
- Beech Nursery
- Summerhill Foods
- Kids Up Front