Simcoe_Review_0617Simcoe Review • June 1, 2017 – Locals in need of palliative care and their families are closer to being able to benefit from the Centre of Excellence, which the Matthews House Hospice plans to build once they reach their campaign target.

Matthews House Hospice works together with families through the journey of illness and grief. They offer a variety of day programs, counselling, palliative care and resident round-the-clock services for individuals suffering from illness and their families.

Matthews House Hospice has embarked on an important capital campaign to build a Centre of Excellence in New Tecumseth.  Their newest donor partner, Flato Developments Inc., presented Matthews House Hospice with a cheque for $150,000 in support of their ‘Walking the Journey Together’ capital campaign.

The Flato funding will add on to the Ontario government funding which is expected over the next three years.

As part of the 2016 Budget, Ontario is proposing to invest an additional $75 million over three years to provide patients with more options and access to palliative and end-of-life care.

Last year in Ontario, 13,500 hospice volunteers supported more than 17,000 in-home clients and 4,000 people near the end of their lives. On average, for each hospice client served, five family members are also supported.

“Ensuring that patients and families across the province have access to compassionate and high-quality palliative care is critical at this very important and challenging time of their lives. Our goal is to build on Ontario’s strong network of providers and volunteers who make an enormous difference to the palliative care patients receive,” said John Fraser, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.