Fr. Dr. Matthew M. Durham, D.Min is the Executive Director, Hospice Palliative Care & Community Development, Saint Elizabeth Foundation. Fr. Durham shares his insights on the ‘HopeLine’ created by the Archdiocese of Toronto and operated by Saint Elizabeth Foundation and how HopeLine can help people beginning their hospice and palliative care journey.

For many people, an end-of-life diagnosis can seem completely overwhelming. It’s often described as time stopping, but for those of us who work in hospice and palliative care, we know the diagnosis is just the beginning. The HopeLine was created to help newly diagnosed patients, caregivers and family members identify resources that can support them on their end-of-life journey. It’s easy to access (just call 416-619-5700) and takes a customized approach with one of our compassionate team members working directly with callers to help pinpoint resources with hospice palliative care options within their home community. The HopeLine is open to any individual residing within the Archdiocese of Toronto who requires end-of-life support services and holistic care for patients, caregivers and extended family and friend networks.

Through the pilot phase, the HopeLine helped many parishioners in the Archdiocese of Toronto to access resources that made a difference for their families. One story in particular stands out to me. A woman (I’ll call her Mary) reached out to us on the HopeLine when her 78-year-old father, John, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Mary’s father lived in their family home with his 75-year-old wife, Eliza, and no family living close by. Mary was concerned for both her parents who were already struggling with meal preparation and daily living activities. The cancer diagnosis just made everything harder. Mary worked with a member of our HopeLine team and who made her aware of local resources such as Meals on Wheels, community hospice and Ontario Health at Home for support. With regular nutritious meals delivered, visits from a nurse educator to help teach her parents about how to administer medications, community personal support visits from Ontario Health to help John with personal hygiene and respite volunteer visits to give her mom, Eliza, a break, Mary’s father was able to enjoy six months at home with his wife and a peaceful death in his own bed. This is the gift of HopeLine.

Mary’s story highlights the importance of having support and a plan. The Archdiocese offers the Horizons of Hope program designed to empower and educate parishioners by addressing questions surrounding palliative care, dying, death, suffering, accompaniment and bereavement in a holistic fashion. I encourage everyone to access these resources, start important conversations with loved ones, and of course, to call us on the HopeLine when they need extra support.

To learn more about Horizons of Hope, please visit: https://www.cccb.ca/faith-moral-issues/suffering-and-end-of-life/horizons-of-hope-a-toolkit-for-catholic-parishes-on-palliative-care/.