For workers at Hospice Halifax, the focus is on comfort, dignity and the personal journey at the end of life.
But the care is out of reach for many in Nova Scotia, where a severe shortage of specialized hospice beds means a peaceful death is a privilege, not a guarantee.
Claire Prashad, nurse manager at the hospice, underscores the critical need for more specialized end-of-life care.
Prashad says there should be seven hospice beds for every 100,000 people, but Nova Scotia isn't at that level.
There are only 30 hospice beds in all of the province — 10 in Halifax, 10 in the Annapolis Valley and 10 in Cape Breton.
To meet accepted standards, Nova Scotia needs up to 80 beds total, she says.
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