Who are we?

The Société de soins palliatifs à domicile du Grand Montréal is a not-for-profit healthcare organization whose mission is to provide free, high-quality palliative care and services at home, to anyone suffering from cancer or any other pathology in the advanced stages of illness, and who wishes to live the last stage of their life at home. In addition, from a teaching and research perspective, the Society participates in the advancement of knowledge in palliative care and contributes to the scientific and clinical development of palliative care in general, and home care in particular.

To patients

To enable anyone suffering from advanced cancer or any other pathology to remain at home for as long as possible, close to their loved ones, and to end their life there if they so wish. We do this by offering them all the care, services and support their condition requires.

To their loved ones

To enable family and friends accompanying a sick person at home to obtain all the help, support, information and training they need to support them with complete peace of mind.


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Our commitment

Our approach and values

The Society's approach is a humanistic intervention philosophy that takes into account the entire situation, i.e., the patient, their loved ones and the home as the intervention environment. It recognizes the impact of illness on all dimensions of the person: physical, psychological, cognitive, family, social and spiritual. That's why we call it an integrated, holistic approach.
On a day-to-day basis, the members of the Society, both employees and volunteers, are committed to living the founding values of the organization.

  • Service excellence
  • Open-mindedness
  • Dedication and compassion
  • Respect and tolerance
  • Attentiveness

Our story

  • 1970
    Closure of the Société des Infirmières Visiteuses, giving Dr. Maurice Bertrand the determination to create a medical-nursing palliative care service available to all people with advanced cancer who wish to live the last stage of their lives at home.
  • 1973:
    Creation of the Association
    d'entraide Ville-Marie
    Creation of the Association d'entraide Ville-Marie (AEVM), whose goal is to provide home palliative care to Quebecers. The organization also offers caregivers all the support they need, with respect, dignity and compassion. It is Quebec's leading home palliative care resource.
  • 1980
    Creation of the Fondation Docteur Maurice-Bertrand: friends who believed in the AEVM's mission set up this Foundation, honouring the great humanist Dr. Maurice Bertrand, who had shown unfailing dedication and commitment to the development of the young AEVM.
  • 1982
    Welcome to the first volunteers who will take over the back-up services: accompaniment of the patients and transportation to medical appointments. This service has now been replaced by the professional services of beneficiary attendants and a cab service.
  • 2009
    Name change! The AEVM changes its name to Société de Soins palliatifs à domicile du Grand Montréal, to better reflect its mission.
  • 2018
    Establishment of a partnership with the Montreal Heart Institute, enabling us to offer care to patients with advanced cardiovascular disease, who are known to require regular hospital visits for the management of blood volume and overload. This partnership is enabling the development of innovative and highly effective protocols that can help avoid numerous hospitalizations.
  • 2021
    The SSPAD has set a new record for home care in the context of the pandemic, with over 1,300 palliative care patients treated.
  • 2023
    The SSPAD is officially accredited with commendation by Accreditation Canada : The SSPAD has embarked on the accreditation process with Accreditation Canada. Formerly certified by the CQA, this evaluation confirms the organization's expertise, and provides a great opportunity to go even further in improving its organization. The mention testifies to exceeding the requirements of an extremely demanding program in terms of quality of care and organizational quality.
  • 2024
    The SSPAD's mission is officially expanded: the SSPAD now considers caregivers as full users of the organization. To ensure the effective development of adapted services, the Caregiving Committee is created.

Since its creation, the SSPAD has cared for and accompanied more than 55,000 patients and their loved ones. Each year, it enables nearly 60% of patients to pass away at home if that is their wish.

Our services

Palliative care and homecare services to meet your needs.
Free, home-based palliative care and high-quality services.

Get palliative care and home services: Anytime, any day, for free, no waiting time.
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  1. Care provided by nurses specialized in palliative care, including symptom management and pain control.
  2. Personalized patient care education for family caregivers to empower them to meet the patient’s needs.
  3. Close collaboration with oncologists, specialists and palliative care physicians for follow-up throughout the care trajectory, in addition to home visits by palliative care physicians.
  4. A nurse/doctor on-call system for evenings from 4 p.m. to midnight, weekends and holidays.
  5. An auxiliary nurse at night in the patient’s home when required.

It is offered by a psychologist to the patient or a loved one throughout the care and bereavement trajectory. It deals with the various symptoms (anguish, anxiety, stress, post-traumatic stress, guilt, helplessness, depression) experienced during the emotional stages of the illness (denial, anger, resignation/partial acceptance, depression, acceptance), in line with each person’s existential and spiritual values.

The integration of spirituality into the SSPAD culture is profoundly inclusive. Secular and denominational, it is secular (or lay) spirituality that specifically enables us both to participate in SSPAD’s interdisciplinary dynamic and to reach out to anyone who expresses the desire for transcendence: whatever their culture, generation, relationship to self and religion.

Personalized hygiene and comfort care adapted to the patient’s needs, provided by trained and experienced care attendants. A respite service for loved ones is available, offering a safe presence and help with daily tasks to meet the patient’s basic needs.

Complementing the care and services offered by the care team, the family support service relies on volunteer resources committed to helping patients, their loved ones and the organization. Through their actions, volunteers contribute to keeping patients at home and improving their quality of life. They offer support to families who request it, including transportation to medical appointments, accompaniment, respite care and massage therapy. Volunteers also provide administrative support to the organization.

  1. Availability of medical supplies required for care.
  2. Loan service for auxiliary equipment.
  3. Telephone support and services available 7 days a week, from 8:00 a.m. to midnight. During the night, from 00:00 to 8:00, on the line dedicated to vulnerable customers.

For over 50 years, the SSPAD team has been by the side of families and loved ones who are caring for a terminally ill person at home. We know that this journey is full of challenges, and it’s important to us to provide support and comfort to family caregivers, because for us, they are an essential link in the care team.

To meet the needs of caregivers, the SSPAD offers a range of free, adapted and caring services, including :

  1. Psychological and spiritual support: to accompany those in need emotionally and spiritually.
  2. Support for the bereaved: to help them through this difficult period with a listening ear and appropriate accompaniment.
  3. Self-help and support groups: spaces for sharing, exchanging and finding comfort among people going through similar situations.
  4. Caregiver wellness workshops: to enable caregivers to take care of themselves and preserve their well-being.
  5. Education and resources: to provide practical tools to make day-to-day caregiving easier.

We also invite you to consult our guide for patients and their families, a compendium of essential information to help you at every step of the way.

At SSPAD, we believe in a humane and collaborative approach, with respect and dignity for all. Let us help you help yourself.

For more information, you can always contact reception at 514 272-7200 ext. 221, or send an e-mail to info@sspad.ca.

Mobile Home Project

This project aims to improve equity of access to palliative care for people living on the streets or in precarious housing.

To know more about this project, click here.

To make a donation for this project, click here.

An interdisciplinary team
by your side

The success of the SSPAD lies in the profoundly human nature of all those involved, whether directly or indirectly. The bonds that this small team weaves with patients and their caregivers create a space where their humanity and suffering can be expressed freely and confidently, within a relationship built on deep respect.
What is special and unique about this teamwork is the sharing among caregivers and other team members, who allow themselves to experience, without judgment, all these intimate moments shared with patients and their loved ones. This collective capacity for "caring for others" is reflected in the quality of our presence, shown through the speed of our interventions, our flexibility, and the compassion we extend to those entrusted to us.

Our members

Board of Directors
Présidente du CA
Monique Jarry
1ère Vice-Présidente
Gylaine Boucher
2ème Vice-Présidente
Guylaine Bolduc
Trésorier
Denis Courcy
Secrétaire
Sébastien Caron
Médecin spécialiste en soins palliatifs et chercheur hospitalier
Dr. Benoît Deschamps
Chercheuse à la faculté des sciences infirmières UDM
Émilie Allard
Directrice des ressources humaines et du développement organisationnel - CISS Montérégie-Ouest
Josée Blais
inf. M.Sc. DESS Bioéthique
Louise Francoeur
Directeur du développement des affaires et partenariats, Société Cycle Momentum
Niels Hagege
Vice-Président Finance, American Iron and Metal (AIM)
Matthew Fox
Gestionnaire chez Siemens Mobilité
France Nadeau

For further information,
consult our annual reports

Memory
View the brief
"Public bench - Part 1
Watch the video
"Public bench - Part 2
Watch the video
A guide for patients and their caregivers
Consult the guide

Accompagner

la vie

"I have nothing but praise. The staff supported me through the difficult ordeal of caring for a loved one with incurable cancer. I don't know how I would have made it through without them. The team provided encouragement and support to the patient, and in doing so, gave us a sense of guidance as our loved one journeyed toward the end of life. This was my second experience as a caregiver. It truly breaks the cycle of isolation. A heartfelt thank you to everyone."


–Marie (Caregiver)

"A heartfelt thank you to the entire team that cared for Pascal: doctor, nurses, attendants… He often said how lucky he was and that he lacked nothing. To him, the team were angels he had the privilege to meet. Thank you again — you are truly wonderful."


–Céline (Volunteer)

"Our primary nurse, Sandrine, showed truly exceptional dedication and concern for her patient’s well-being. She was also highly professional. The doctor was equally caring, and I was impressed to see that he did research to stay thoroughly up to date in his knowledge. He provided care that was both conscientious and deeply human. I don’t know what we would have done without the SSPAD."

-Anna (Caregiver)

Our father, Lucien, passed away on October 14, 2014. He was able to end his life in peace and dignity, just as he wished—at home—thanks to your invaluable help and the support we received throughout his end-of-life journey. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the caregiving staff, nurse Martin, and attendants Jason and Fernando, for their kindness, exemplary dedication, and profound respect for our father. Your organization is truly admirable. On behalf of our dear father and his four daughters, a heartfelt thank you for the compassionate care provided at home.

-Marie-Andrée, Sylvie, Diane et Carole Miron (Caregivers)

Sincere thanks to all the members of your wonderful team who so admirably dedicated themselves to making it possible for my husband, Maurice, to spend his final days at home, just as he had always wished. Without you, I would never have been able to do it.

-Micheline Dumas (Proche aidante)

Thanks to your care and support, our Jean-Marc was able to leave this life surrounded by those he loved and who loved him—breathing in the delicious scents of meals simmering in his kitchen, receiving kisses from his Suzie, his Isabelle, his Martin, and his dog Prunelle, all in the home he cherished so deeply, with a view of his garden. Because of you, we were able to witness and cherish, again and again, the gaze of his beautiful blue eyes and the countless precious moments he shared with us until his very last breath. Thanks to all of you, Rosaire was able to fulfill his final wish: to live his last moments at home, surrounded by his loved ones. And thanks to you, I was able to accompany him with full trust along that path, all the way to the end. You are extraordinary.

-Mme Dubuc (Caregiver)

The care and services my family received were remarkable and unforgettable. Without them, we would never have been able to keep my husband at home, surrounded by his family in the comfort of his own environment. They were there for him—and for my two young daughters—until his very last days. Every time a donation is made to the Foundation of the Home Palliative Care Society, it allows another family like mine to receive the invaluable care and support that we were fortunate to have. From the bottom of our hearts, my family thanks you.

-Fernanda, Vida et Anisha Cirillo (Caregivers)

We thank you for your support during mom's illness. Your dedication, kindness, professionalism, and compassion contributed to fulfilling mom's wish to spend her final days at home. Without you, none of this would have been possible...

-Famille Mongrain (Caregivers)
Next testimonial

Have you or your loved ones been supported by the SSPAD? Leave us a note and share your experience—your testimony would be greatly appreciated by the organization. Feel free to write to us directly by email.

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