Making a Referral

Patients may be referred to the Toronto Grace Palliative Care program from the community, other hospitals, emergency departments, and from long-term care nursing homes.

If you require more information about how to make a referral, please contact our admissions coordinator, Barry Simpson, at the Palliative Care Unit at 416-925-2251 ext271.

A tour of the palliative care unit may also be arranged if you like. Please call 416-925-2251, ext. 271, Barry Simpson to arrange.

Admission Criteria

• Presence of a life-limiting illness where the focus is on symptom management rather than cure of illness.
• Need for active management of physical, psychosocial and/or spiritual symptoms.
• Significantly decreased functional abilities and care needs that cannot be met at home or in another care setting.
• An estimated life expectancy of six months or less.
• 18 years of age and older.
• Understanding that if the patient’s condition stabilizes or improves and the team feels that the patient’s life expectancy is more than six months, options for transfer to a more appropriate setting will be actively pursued.

Patients with the following care needs can be accepted:

• BiPAP where the patient is already on BiPAP at admission and has goals consistent with palliative care.
• Intravenous diuretics or inotropes may be continued for patients with end-stage heart failure with palliative goals of care.

The Toronto Grace Palliative Care Program is unable to provide care needs for patients:

• On mechanical ventilators.
• On total parenteral nutrition (TPN).
• Requesting resuscitation.

Patient Referral Forms

Palliative Care Unit – Common referral form – PDF

The common referral form may be used for referrals outside the Toronto Central LHIN or if the RM&R referral form is not available. The RM&R referral is used online for referrals from Home and Community Care in the Toronto Central LHIN.