Policy,Resources and Practice: A Palliative Care Ward

Abstract

Palliative Care, like any other service, must operate with policies, practices and resources. The St. Boniface Hospital Program undertook to reduce the insecurities of dying at home by assuring direct admission of terminally ill patients to the Palliative Care Unit. The operation of the unit was simulated with a computer to define rules for controlling bed utilization. The simulated description of the program also enabled projection of bed needs to accommodate changing demand and guided redefinition of policies and practices to adjust to changes. Over a ten year period the program was able to double program size with fixed resources.