Hospice is both a philosophy and overall approach to care provided to individuals living with – and dying from – a life-limiting illness. Hospice palliative care is designed to relieve suffering and help people live their remaining time in comfort and with dignity. Lisaard & Innisfree Hospice has two residences that provide exceptional palliative care in a tranquil, homelike setting to individuals whose death is approaching, as well as support for their loved ones through the end-of-life journey.
We are proud of our compassionate staff of Nurses, Personal Support Workers, Social Workers, Music Therapist, Bereavement Coordinator, Spiritual Care Providers, and visiting pet therapy, all of whom have specialized training in palliative care. We are further supported by a team of four palliative care physicians who participate in one-month rotations, visiting the Houses twice weekly, and providing twenty-four-hour coverage, seven days a week.
We are also fortunate to have a committed team of over 150 volunteers whose contributions provide support for residents, families, visitors, and staff – from reception, cooking, baking, gardening, cleaning, to event planning, administration, and fundraising.
Collectively, our team has decades of experience caring for people at end-of-life, and we believe each person’s final breath is as sacred as their first.
All referrals for hospice palliative care will be completed through a patient’s physician, nurse practitioner, or through a specific community service provider such as Ontario Health atHome. Because referrals are triaged daily, one of our Clinical Resource Nurses will call the patient and/or their family to talk about the referral and determine the goals of care.
When a bed becomes available, our Clinical Resource Nurse will again reach out to the patient to offer a bed. Depending on the circumstances, the offer doesn’t need to be accepted immediately; patients may decide that staying in their current location and remaining on the list for the next available bed is the best choice.
If you’d like more information on this process, or need some help navigating the referral system, please give us a call at 519.208.5055 x253 – we welcome your questions and are happy to provide information that helps guide your decision-making.
The short answer is, no. If the primary caregiver or family members live in the Region of Waterloo, you’re eligible for a referral to Lisaard & Innisfree Hospice. If you’re uncertain whether you or your family member qualifies to access care here, we welcome your call and your questions.
Lisaard & Innisfree Hospice has strict policies in place that protect the personal information of residents, potential residents, family members, employees, volunteers, and donors. The names of residents and visitors – both previous and current – are not disclosed to any staff or volunteers unless specifically required for their role. A privacy code is created for each resident, and only those who are given the code can receive updates about a resident over the phone.
We know that maintaining a trusting relationship requires us to be accountable in how we treat information, and we carefully follow the principles set out by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) of Canada.
Lisaard House is at 990 Speedsville Road in Cambridge, Innisfree House is at 2375 Homer Watson Boulevard in Kitchener, and both locations are accessible by Grand River Transit.
Free parking, including accessible spaces, are available at both Lisaard House & Innisfree House.
All of the resident rooms in our Houses are spacious and private. Each has its own ensuite bathroom, a large reclining chair for guests, cable TV, radio, mini-fridge, a large table for photos, flowers, and other treasures, and ample closet space. Each room is outfitted with large double patio doors that open to the outside, bringing the tranquil gardens on each property into every resident’s room. Lisaard House has six private rooms, and Innisfree House has ten; please enjoy a virtual tour of the Houses here.
While there is no overall charge to residents or families for their time at Lisaard & Innisfree Hospice, there may be some expenses related to the care needs of individual residents, which might include:
There are a few things a new resident should have – a valid Ontario Health Card, paperwork for any applicable Powers of Attorney, medications, toiletries, and some clothing. Our Clinical Resource Nurse will be sure to discuss any other items that might be useful to have on hand.
We will provide all general dietary requirements; our staff takes time with each resident to discuss dietary preferences, and prepares all the meals and regular beverages. For those with restrictive dietary requirements and preferences, each room is equipped with a mini-fridge that families can fill with any preferred specialty items.
Please call our Clinical Resource Nurse at 519.208.5055 x253 for information and advice about the current visitor protocol.
Our Clinical Resource Nurse will discuss provisions for a resident’s laundry with each family individually.
Pets are allowed to visit, provided they meet the requirements. Please check with staff; you’ll need to complete a pet waiver before bringing a pet into the hospice.
Lisaard & Innisfree Hospice is a “health information custodian” for the purposes of the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA). In accordance with PHIPA, we collect personal health information (PHI) about you directly from you or from the person acting on your behalf. The personal health information that we collect may be in various forms and may include, for example, your name, photograph, date of birth, address, health history, records of your visits to regional hospitals, and the care that you received during those visits. Occasionally, we collect personal health information about you from other sources, if we have obtained your consent to do so or if the law permits.
Access to your personal health information is available to those who need it in order to provide care. This may include physicians, nurses, technologists, therapists, and other health professionals. We use and disclose your personal health information to:
Non-clinical information about your visit such as your name, location in the facility, and telephone number in the hospice may be released to family and friends in order to confirm you are a resident or notify a representative of a religious affiliation to visit you if you wish.
We take steps to protect your personal health information from loss and unauthorized use or disclosure. We conduct audits and carry out investigations to monitor and manage our privacy compliance. We take steps to ensure that everyone who performs services for us protects your privacy and only uses your personal health information for the purposes to which you have given consent.
You may request access to your record, withdraw consent for access to your record, or submit a request for correction to your record by contacting:
If you have questions or concerns, you also have the right to contact:
While MAiD is not part of our approach to hospice palliative care and is not provided by the staff of Lisaard & Innisfree Hospice, we will make appropriate referrals to honor this choice should a resident’s wishes in this regard change – click here for our full policy.
