Dignity for all, to the end

Pat Colucci is in awe of how perceptive her staff at Cardinal Ambrozic Houses of Providence is about the residents of this long-term care facility on the Providence Healthcare campus in Toronto’s east end.

“I have some staff members that will tell me, ‘if you want to go see Mr. Brown, today’s the day to go see him because he’s not doing well,’ ” said Colucci, administrator at the long-term care institution. “I read the report just like everybody else and get the updates on what’s happening with most of the residents — if somebody’s end of life or declining. I’m like, ‘oh, really? I didn’t think Mr. Brown was close to…’ ‘no, no, no, he’s probably going to go tomorrow. You better see him.’

“I’m telling you, nine out of 10 times these resident assistants are right on. They’re deeply intuitive.”

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This strong connection sprouts from a 26-year-old founding conviction that every resident has a story and staff caring for and supporting the resident will be most impactful and compassionate in their service by striving to understand the unique destinies of the 288 men and women gracing this place. They honour their namesake, Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic, the Archbishop of Toronto from 1990 to 2006, with this philosophy. He spoke about the need for compassionate health care that champions the dignity of human life. 

ShareLife provides meaningful accompaniment in this journey with funding that aids the Houses of Providence’s person-centred palliative care, dementia care and community-building programming.

Colucci said ShareLife support was instrumental in the outdoor Mass this past summer, which assembled the entire community of residents and staff in the horseshoe-shaped parking lot in front of the main entrance. A gathering of this scale became a rarity after the COVID-19 pandemic permanently altered fire and life safety codes. Spaces that could once allow 100 people can now only accommodate 70. Masses are now celebrated in smaller groups.

“We need the resources to do that safely,” said Colucci. “We have to quarter residents downstairs, make sure they’re dressed properly, have hydration and sunscreen. And as much as the residents love it and want it, we still have to prepare them because 85 per cent of our residents have some form of dementia. At seven o’clock in the morning, you’re telling Mrs. Smith about the outdoor Mass, and when it comes to nine o’clock, they may not remember.”

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This labour of love produces a beautiful result. Colucci said she and her team are affected by this “emotionally touching and meaningful” experience.

Regarding the Cardinal Ambrozic Houses of Providence’s efforts to support patients with dementia, ShareLife support helps residents with responsive behaviours. This includes educational tools that help caregivers develop a skill set in approaching these patients with gently persuasive interventions. The charitable fundraising arm of the Archdiocese of Toronto also provides quality of life resources such as pet therapy, therapeutic dolls and music programs.

Colucci praised ShareLife’s efforts and how its staff interacts with each member agency.

“I describe (the relationship) as 10 out of 10. There are no concerns at all. We’ve been speaking during ShareLife campaigns at local churches or assigned churches. We’ve had opportunities to do photo shoots in our building with ShareLife. Them (considering) requests for some of the work that we do are important. Sometimes it just doesn’t follow the expectations of everybody because we serve everybody. We don’t just serve Catholics. ShareLife has been really supportive.”

Colucci added that ShareLife is also attuned to the reality that as “residents age and get closer to the end of life, they need more spiritual care, more socialization and more engagement.”

And this need is poised to become more pronounced as Canada’s over-65 population is projected to reach between 22.6 and 32.5 per cent of the total population by 2075, up from 19.5 per cent in 2025, per Statistics Canada. The same 2025 snapshot forecasts the very elderly population (85+) expanding from 950,000 last year to between 3.3 million and 4.2 million in 2075.

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Colucci imparted that monetary contributions to ShareLife — both big and small — help agencies like Cardinal Ambrozic Houses of Providence provide care in the present and to prepare for challenges and strains that lie ahead. She spoke to the power of each donation to this annual fundraising campaign.

“There’s a lot of work happening behind the scenes. The donations through ShareLife really do help people. A variety of different groups, a variety of different people, young, old, unborn, people that have made bad choices and now trying to get life back on track. There’s a lot of good that comes out of little donations to ShareLife.”

(Amundson is an associate editor and writer for The Catholic Register.)

A version of this article appeared in the September 27, 2026 issue of The Catholic Register with the headline "Dignity for all, to the end".