Hospices in Ottawa (2027): Residences, Day Hospice and How to Get a Bed

Ottawa's two residential hospices for adults are run by Hospice Care Ottawa: May Court Hospice in Old Ottawa South (9 beds) and Ruddy-Shenkman Hospice in Kanata (10 beds). There's no charge to residents or their families, and every referral, from any registered health care provider, goes to one shared intake team run with Bruyère, which also has a hospital palliative care unit.

Maybe the palliative team has just said "hospice," and you're trying to understand what happens next for your mom or dad. It helps to know that Ottawa's system is simpler than most: one referral reaches every hospice bed in the city, and the free day hospice and volunteer programs can start before any bed is needed.

Which hospices are in Ottawa?

Hospice Care Ottawa closed its residence beds at La Maison de l'Est at the end of October 2026; its French-language day hospice moved to May Court. For children, Roger Neilson Children's Hospice on Smyth Road serves children with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

How do you get a hospice bed in Ottawa?

1. Referral: any registered health care provider can refer, usually your parent's doctor or palliative team. Since October 2024, referrals for all Ottawa inpatient hospice care go electronically to one intake team shared by Bruyère and Hospice Care Ottawa.
2. Eligibility: the residences are for adults with a life-limiting illness, in the last days to weeks of life, who need 24-hour care; the intake team uses a functional score (40% or less on the Palliative Performance Scale).
3. Placement: the team matches your parent to the right bed, at May Court, Ruddy-Shenkman or Bruyère. The average residence stay is about two to three weeks.

Questions about admission go to Hospice Care Ottawa's admissions coordinator at 613-796-6555.

What does hospice cost in Ottawa?

Nothing for the care. Hospice Care Ottawa says, "There is no charge to the individuals with life-limiting illnesses and their families we serve," and its day hospice and community programs are free too. Ontario's palliative care page confirms there's no cost to patients for medically necessary palliative care at home, in a hospice or in hospital.

What support is there before a bed is needed?

• Day hospice: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at May Court (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and in Kanata (Tuesdays and Wednesdays), for adults 18 and older. It can't support dementia or challenging behaviours. Families can self-refer.
• In-home volunteers: emotional support, practical help and respite at home; volunteers don't provide personal care.
• Caregiver and grief support: support groups, counselling and respite for caregivers of people using Hospice Care Ottawa, and bereavement groups and walks (613-591-6002 ext. 243).
• South of the city: Beth Donovan Hospice in Kemptville offers free day hospice, in-home visiting, caregiver training, grief support and equipment lending for North Grenville, Merrickville-Wolford and nearby rural areas (613-258-9611). It has no residence beds.

For nursing and personal support at home, Ontario Health atHome (Champlain) arranges funded care: call 1-833-515-1234. Some families add a private nursing agency, such as At-Home Hospice, for extra hours.

Our take: start day hospice and the volunteer program early, while your parent is still well enough to enjoy them. They're free, they give you a break, and the team will already know your family if a bed is needed later.

What should you ask the hospice team?

• How long is the wait for a bed right now, and what happens if my parent's needs change while we wait?
• Can family visit at any hour, or stay overnight?
• What do you offer us, the family, during and after?