When her husband’s health began to decline, Lesya was already managing a year of hospital visits, treatments, and uncertainty. As his needs grew, so did the pressure - coordinating care, managing medications, and trying to navigate a complex system while caring for someone she loved.
“When you’re already going through such a difficult time, you don’t know who to call or where to turn,” she says.
The Mississauga Health Integrated Palliative Care Program is changing that.
Through a partnership between Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga Health, Ontario Health atHome, Dorothy Ley Hospice, Mississauga Hospice and Spectrum Health Care, the program wraps care around patients and families. With one number to call and one coordinated plan, support is delivered by one connected team - seamlessly at home, in hospital, or in hospice.
For Lesya, that coordination made it possible for her husband to remain at home - surrounded by familiarity, comfort, and dignity. Equipment, supplies, and care teams were organized quickly, reducing the need for multiple calls and easing the burden during an already overwhelming time.
“It’s like having the benefits of hospital care, but in the comfort of home,” she says. “Everything was arranged, and we didn’t have to figure it out on our own.”
This connected approach to care is making a real impact. In its first year, the program supported more than 900 patients and reduced emergency department visits by 60% for people in the last month of their life. Families who shared their experience described the program as compassionate, coordinated and supportive.
Most importantly, 90% of those in the program were able to receive end-of-life care at home or in hospice - rather than in hospital.
This is what a more connected, people-centred system looks like - care that wraps around patients and families when it matters most. Looking ahead, the program will continue expanding to reach more people across the community.
