A new project hopes to address the issue of end-of-life care for the homeless.
The Maison du Père shelter will provide palliative care services for those living on the streets.
The project is in partnership with the Palliative Care Society of Montreal.
Last year, the mission’s chapel held 24 funerals for the homeless.
The shelter’s director, Robert Boissy, says they decided to act after repeated requests by sick clients to die at the shelter rather than in hospital.
“All Canadians deserve a roof over their head, and to die in dignity and this is what we want to provide to the homeless, who often don’t have any family ties anymore, and their family is here at the Maison du Père, and we want to keep that bond,” said Boissy.
Like the general population, the homeless community is aging.
The average age of the clients at the Maison du Père is 55.
The organization has added 10 private rooms to its facility to accommodate their sick clients.