The Canadian
Hospice Palliative Care Association recently revised the report A Model to Guide Hospice Palliative Care: based on
national principles and norms of practice. Originally released in
2002, the report was intended to provide an example of hospice care that would
ensure that all Canadians have access to consistent, high quality care that can
relieve suffering and improve quality of life. The 2013 version has the
same intention, however it has been updated to better reflect current practice
and experience.
The report has five sections:
1.
The underlying understanding of health and
illness
2.
The definition of hospice palliative care
and the values, principles and foundational concepts that drive all aspects of
hospice palliative care
3.
A guide to the delivery of person and
family-centred hospice palliative care to, including a conceptual framework –
the “Square of Care” – which identifies:
·
The issues commonly faced by individuals and
families during an illness;
·
The essential steps in the process of providing
care;
·
The principles and norms of practice related to
each step in the process of providing care
4.
A guide to organizational development and
function, including a conceptual framework – the “Square of Organization” –
which identifies:
·
The resources required to operate a hospice
palliative care organization;
·
The principal functions of an organization;
·
The principles and norms of practice related to
each aspect of organizational function
5.
Data Collection and Documentation
