“I was very impressed by the care provided at the hospice and the work they do. Their outreach programs to serve rural areas as well as Six Nations are examples that many other areas could follow,” Angus said.
“I’ve been touring the country talking about palliative care off and on for a few years now and what is being done in Brantford is among the best I’ve seen.”
The MP for Timmins-James Bay, Angus was in Brantford on Thursday to tour the hospice with Marc Laferriere, a local social worker and the federal NDP candidate of record.
Angus is also the sponsor of a bill that calls on the federal government to work with the provinces and territories to make sure people across the country, their families and caregivers have access to “high quality, home-based and hospice palliative care.”
The motion, which also urges Canadians to talk about and plan for their end-of-life care, was passed by the House of Commons earlier this year and was co-sponsored by Conservative and Liberal MPs.
Considering how “toxic” this parliament has been, getting a bill that originated with the NDP passed by the House of Commons is quite an achievement, Angus said.
But the support of the other parties, with the exception of the Bloc Quebecois, speaks to the importance of the issue, he added.
“I think palliative care is going to be the number one health issue,” Angus said. “We have an aging population and right now there are a lot of services being provided and a lot of money being spent but it’s a patchwork of services and as a result a lot of people fall through cracks.
“We think everyone should have access to the high level of service that’s available in Brantford.”
If the outreach programs work in Brantford, they can work elsewhere, he added.
Laferriere, like many people in Brantford and the surrounding area, has had personal involvement with the hospice.
Nearly a year ago, a member of his family stayed at the hospice and Laferriere said he was grateful for the care he and the family received from the staff.
“Every staff member I spoke to asked for (the family member’s) name and every one of them remembered him by name,” Laferriere said. “Think about that.
“That is the kind of personal and professional service someone staying at our hospice receives. A small thing like that can make a world of difference for guests and their families.”
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