Hospices in Toronto: Residential Hospices, Home Hospice Programs and How to Get a Bed

Toronto's residential hospices include Kensington Hospice, a 19-bed residence downtown, Dorothy Ley Hospice in Etobicoke Journey Home Hospice for people who are homeless or vulnerably housed. Ontario's residential hospices generally charge residents nothing, and a bed is usually arranged through a doctor, a hospital palliative team or Ontario Health atHome (call 310-2222). Several Toronto programs, such as Hospice Toronto, also send trained volunteers into the home at no charge.

Maybe the doctor has used the word "hospice" for the first time, and you're trying to work out what that means for your mom or dad this week. Or home is still working, but only just, and you want a plan if it stops working. You don't have to work this out alone: hospice teams do this every day, gently, and they start by listening.

Which residential hospices are in Toronto?

Hospital palliative care units, such as the one at Sunnybrook, are another option when symptoms need hospital-level care. Toronto also has hospices just outside the city in York and Peel regions, which can be worth asking about.

Our take: Ask for the referral early, and ask to be put forward to more than one hospice. Families who wait until the last week often find no bed free. Being on a list costs nothing and you can always say "not yet".

What does hospice care cost in Toronto?

Usually nothing for the care itself. Ontario's residential hospices are funded partly by the province and partly by donations, so families aren't charged for the bed, nursing or symptom care. Ask each hospice about smaller costs, such as medications or personal items. Home hospice volunteer programs are also free.

How do you get a hospice bed in Toronto?

1. Referral: your parent's doctor, the hospital palliative team or an Ontario Health atHome care coordinator sends it.
2. Eligibility: most residences admit adults whose illness is expected to end their life within about three months. Each hospice sets its own criteria, so ask.
3. Waiting: beds open when they open. Keep your parent's care at home strong in the meantime, and tell the hospice if things change.

What is home hospice, and who offers it in Toronto?

Home hospice brings trained volunteers, grief support and practical help to your parent's home. It doesn't replace nurses or personal support workers, but it gives the family company and breaks.

• Hospice Toronto: volunteer in-home care, a day program, expressive arts and bereavement support, at no charge, since 1988.
• Philip Aziz Centre for Hospice Care: volunteers who sit with your parent so you can rest, plus emotional and spiritual support.
• Hazel Burns Hospice and Toronto Commandery Hospice: in-home volunteers, case management and grief support in the west end and across the city.
• Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care (Sinai Health): palliative doctors who visit patients at home in central Toronto and North York.

How do you cover nights while you wait for a bed?

This is where families most often run out of strength. Ontario Health atHome funds palliative nursing and some personal support, but rarely a person through every night. A private agency can add overnight shifts, often within a day or two; expect roughly $28 to $40 an hour for personal support in 2026. Our palliative care at home guide explains how the funded and private pieces fit together, and the Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit returns part of eligible costs.

What should you ask a hospice?

• What are your admission criteria, and how long is the wait right now?
• Can family stay overnight, and are pets or familiar things from home allowed?
• What support is there for us afterwards?
• If my parent stabilizes, what happens?