After finally finishing my research report on death, dying, and Canadian families, I’ve returned to my hospice research in preparation for a paper I’m going to give at the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Conference in Ottawa in late October. I’ll freely admit that I LOVE doing research – and the internet has definitely transformed this process. Yesterday, I sat at my desk and located, read, and printed a dozen journal articles on hospice volunteering – all without leaving my study! Quite a contrast from the 80s when I was doing research for my PhD and spend days in dank dark library basements reading journals and magazines kept in compact storage!
Today I’ve been “visiting” hospices in Ontario and planning for my next road trip. I’ve already been to Renfrew and Cornwall hospices (both wonderful facilities with great staff and volunteers!) and Beth Donovan Hospice in Kemptville (with its great home visiting and bereavement programs). Today I checked out the websites for Hospice Huntsville (5 beds and several other programs) and Hospice North Hastings (located in Bancroft and serving a huge geographic area. I was amazed at all that the folks at North Hastings are able to do – with very little government money.
Here’s a link to their website – they have a great video on the front page and I urge you to take a few minutes to watch it. It features family members of people who have died in their two-bed hospice, staff members, volunteers and others. It’s clear that they have a very broad base of committed supporters in the community and lots of great ideas for spreading the word and raising funds!
http://www.hospicenorthhastings.com/index.php
Like Renfrew, Beth Donovan, and Cornwall hospices (and many many other rural hospices), North Hastings hospice serves a huge area with a thinly spread, far-flung population. And don’t forget – this is Canada – where winter makes driving a huge challenge. What struck me as I visited these hospices – both in person and on the internet – was the strength of community support and the depth of the volunteer commitment. As a life-long urban dweller, I find myself envious of this sense of community. Mostly though, I just marvel at the innovative and fun ways they’ve found to raise money to support their hospice services.
There are definitely special challenges that people in rural areas face with respect to hospice care. (And there are some important studies out of Lakehead University in Thunder Bay looking at this issue.) For myself, I can’t wait to get in the car with my trusty digital recorder and my pads of paper and visit these hospices in person!
I believe far more common are hospice volunteers who go into homes. I begin with a new family today. Hospice isn’t just a building. We have about 85 hospice volunteers in Lanark COunty and no building. Most client prefer to remain in their homes.
More important is creating a circle of care.
I’d be interested in reading the Thunder Bay research. Is it available on-line?
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I absolutely agree. Most hospice volunteers visit people in their homes (including nursing home and long term care facilities that have become their home). For people in rural areas, they would much rather stay at home, with family and friends, rather than travelling a great distance to a residential care hospice. But sometimes the care available at home just isn’t sufficient (whether because of disease progression or lack of friends or family to do essential caregiving) but no one model is best, that’s for certain.
Thanks for writing!
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I do hope to come to Bethel Hospice – I’m not quite sure when as I plan to visit Huntsville, Bancroft and other locations nearer to Ottawa – but I do know that I want to visit Bethel, as I’d heard about it from a friend.
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I donated one of my books to the Bancroft hospice. It was one of the first I found travelling between Ottawa and Muskoka. Wonderful people volunteering.
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Funny – the hospices you’ve mentioned are the ones I was researching and mapping out for my road trip when I return from my trip to Provincetown!
Thanks for the advice. I really want yo check out your book!
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Also, there is the Heart of Hastings Hospice . I spoke at their AGM.
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Perth, Ontario, has a Day Hospice which runs once a week. I used to volunteer there, but they have plenty of volunteers.
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