Bayshore HealthCare joins Hike for Hospice Palliative Care fundraiser for ninth consecutive year

All money raised will go directly to local communities to expand hospice palliative care services

MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 5, 2014 /CNW/ - Bayshore HealthCare is embarking on its ninth consecutive campaign to raise money for local palliative care hospices across the country. Bayshore and its employees have raised $1.2 million over the past eight years to help give more Canadians access to hospice palliative care services, such as pain management, caregivers and bereavement.

Staff at nearly 60 Bayshore Home Health locations across the country will once again come together to raise money for hospices in their communities. For many, those efforts include joining thousands of Canadians on Sunday, May 4, for the annual Hike for Hospice Palliative Care. The national fundraising event, which spans more than 100 communities, is organized by the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. The Hike also marks the start of National Hospice Palliative Care Week.

"Bayshore nurses and caregivers know first-hand how important hospice palliative care to providing quality of life for people coping with chronic illnesses," says Holly Quinn, Bayshore HealthCare's chief nursing officer. "Our goal is to make sure this vital support is available to all that need it no matter where they live."

Hospice palliative care programs allow patients, including children, to gain more control over their lives, manage pain and symptoms more effectively and provide support to family and informal caregivers. Despite the many benefits, more than 70 per cent of people dying in Canada do not have access to hospice palliative care, which is funded disproportionately by private donors. The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association is working toward ensuring that more Canadians receive the end-of-life care they deserve.

Bayshore has been a national founding sponsor for Hike for Hospice since 2006. Last year, Bayshore HealthCare raised $165,000 for the Hike. Staff participation is not limited to the actual event. Most branches conduct various fundraising efforts throughout the year, including golf tournaments, guest speaker conferences, book and bake sales, dances and fashion shows.

About Bayshore HealthCare

Bayshore HealthCare Ltd. is one of the country's leading providers of home and community health care services and a Canadian-owned company. Its services are purchased by government care programs, insurance companies, workers' compensation boards, health care organizations, the corporate sector and the public. The Bayshore brand extends across four business divisions: Bayshore Home Health (medical and non-medical home care and staffing services), Bayshore Specialty Rx (specialty pharmacy, infusion and pharmaceutical patient support services), Bayshore Therapy & Rehab (physiotherapy and rehabilitation services) and Bayshore Dialysis (dialysis centers). The company's goal is to enhance the quality of life, well-being, dignity and independence of Canadians of all ages. Bayshore HealthCare has been a recipient of Canada's Best Managed Companies award since 2006. For more information, call 1-877-289-3997 or visit www.bayshore.ca.

SOURCE: Bayshore HealthCare

For further information: Kathleen Edmondson, Citizen, Phone: [phone], E-mail: [e-mail]