Respiratory Therapy department

All front-line respiratory therapy staff who care for our ALS patients throughout patient clinics, critical care and acute care.

The ALS clinic, offered through the Outpatient program, is often the patient’s first point of contact with a respiratory therapist. The respiratory therapy team makes that experience one of hope and humanity. Receiving an ALS diagnosis can be overwhelming. Respiratory therapists approach each patient with compassion and respect ensuring that the person, not the illness is at the centre of care.

The ALS patients often see the same therapist in the outpatient clinic for each visit. This creates a sense of security and trust as their disease progresses. The continuity of care allows meaningful relationships to form. Additionally, this consistency allows the therapist to notice subtle changes in the patient’s condition which allows for timely interventions.

The respiratory therapy team navigates a profoundly emotional landscape when caring for patients with ALS, balancing the joy of meaningful connection with the sorrow of inevitable decline. Often ALS patients go to the intensive care unit for a short admission to get a feeding tube or for the initiation of non-invasive ventilation. This life prolonging therapy can be difficult for patients to adapt to. The team explains the machines and breathing changes ensuring everyone feels comfortable using the equipment at home. The respiratory therapists celebrate small victories with their ALS patients.

Whether sitting quietly with a patient during their final moments or assisting with ventilation to allow a final conversation with family, the team’s empathy ensures no one feels alone in the last stages of their journey.