Since establishing our palliative care ward in 1996, we have practised whole-person care that respects each patient's life story, thinking, and values to the fullest, guided by our philosophy: to make man whole through Christ's love, serving each person. Palliative care for cancer is the general term for the treatment, care, and support given for a patient's distress, whether pain or a practical difficulty, aiming to make each day more liveable. Rather than the traditional image of palliative care as something that begins only once admitted and continues to the end, we offer care adapted to the patient, including a return home where a patient's condition allows.
Family visits, any time, day or night
All rooms are private, in a comfortable setting, and family members may visit at any time. Please talk to us about a pet visit as well. With the support of specialist physicians and staff, patients can spend meaningful time with the people who matter to them.
Responding quickly to what matters to you
We aim to respond quickly, from initial consultation through to admission. For registered patients, an urgent admission can also be arranged where needed. Given how quickly a condition can sometimes progress, we work for prompt decisions and arrangements, aiming to help as many of a patient's wishes as possible come true. Given this, we recommend getting in touch sooner rather than later.
Care suited to your condition: home and inpatient care together
Moving from home care into the ward, and from the ward back home, can both be arranged smoothly. Beyond home visits by physicians and nurses from our outpatient building, we coordinate with local home-visit care and nursing services, supporting comprehensive care from home-based treatment through to admission, adjusted flexibly to a patient's wishes.
A healing environment
Private rooms look out onto a green courtyard, with cherry blossoms in full bloom each spring. Beyond our medical staff, a chaplain attentive to the hearts of patients and families, volunteers who bring colour to ward life, and a therapy dog are also part of the support patients and families receive here.
Care tailored to each patient
We practise palliative care that respects each patient's own wishes about what kind of care they would like, and where. For patients registered for palliative ward admission, our hospice consultation office checks in regularly to support a comfortable stay at home, arranging admission when needed. If you are considering palliative care here, please contact our hospice consultation office first; staff there will discuss the patient's and family's situation carefully and can move from initial consultation to admission promptly where the situation calls for it.
Palliative care in the ward
The ward's defining feature is specialist palliative care available around the clock, every day of the year. Family visits are possible at any time for peace of mind, with further support from our chaplain and volunteers.
Team-based care
Eight professional roles work together as one team in our palliative care: physicians and nurses, alongside medical social workers, a dietitian, a pharmacist, a chaplain, volunteers, and community physicians providing home care, each contributing their own strengths in support of each patient's individual way of living.
Palliative care at home
For patients who wish to receive palliative care in the familiar surroundings of home, physicians and nurses from our outpatient building provide home visits and visiting nursing care, coordinating with local care and nursing services toward the best possible environment for each patient.
| Who it is for | Patients registered for the palliative ward who are able to manage at home, or patients wishing to return home from the ward |
|---|---|
| Long-term care insurance | Available alongside health insurance and the high-cost medical care programme, for patients 65 or older, or 40 or older with a cancer diagnosis |
Home-based palliative care can include the same medical treatment and prescriptions available in the ward, and, through long-term care insurance, visiting rehabilitation, visiting bathing assistance, and equipment rental.
A smooth transition between home and inpatient care
Where a patient's condition is judged to need admission during home care, the move from home to the ward can be arranged smoothly, through visits from our outpatient physicians and nurses and coordination with local home-care clinics. Where a patient under inpatient care wishes to spend their final time at home instead, we can discuss this and put the necessary arrangements in place, supporting the family as well so a patient can be welcomed home with confidence.
Roles within the team
- Physician
- Manages symptom relief with attention to emotional as well as physical distress.
- Nurse
- Supports the physician's care while providing emotional support to the patient.
- Volunteer
- Helps enrich patients' quality of life and time in the ward.
- Chaplain
- Visits patient rooms in consultation with physicians and nurses, and listens to patients' distress and anxiety.
- Pharmacist
- Proposes medication suited to the patient's condition and provides medication guidance.
- Dietitian
- Adjusts food type and texture to the patient's condition and preferences to support adequate nutrition.
- Home care team
- Provides palliative care through home visits when a patient and family wish to receive care at home.
- Medical social worker
- Helps resolve financial, emotional, and social difficulties facing patients and families.
To book a visit, please use the form or call us. You can give up to three preferred dates, and choose from multiple time slots for each.