Hospice for the homeless opens in Ottawa - Shelter - Hospice for the Homeless at The Mission - Brief Article

Community Action, August 19, 2002

OTTAWA -- Hospice for the Homeless at The Mission, in Ottawa is the first palliative care home linked to a shelter for the homeless to open in Canada. The facility serves people facing a life-threatening illness who asked to be allowed to die at the Mission where they felt at home. The eight-bed hospice, has the financial support of private donors, the City of Ottawa and the Government of Canada through HRDC. CMHC also provided funding through its Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program for Persons with Disabilities.

Close to $1 million has been provided by the Government of Canada's Homelessness Initiative and the City of Ottawa. CMHC has provided funding of approximately $200,000 for renovations to make the facilities more accessible for Hospice patients and Mission residents with disabilities. Partner agencies and charitable donations have contributed more than $1 million.

Sponsored by the University of Ottawa, the Inner City Health Project is a two-year pilot project funded by the City of Ottawa in conjunction with the Government of Canada. It will provide specialized health care services for chronically homeless people with complex health problems.

The Inner City Health Project also includes a special care unit for short-term active treatment of health problems at the Salvation Army and a managed alcohol program at the Shepherds of Good Hope.