The Sunshine Coast Hospice Society officially opened the doors to its new hospice facility in Shorncliffe last week.
The society started in 1987 and since then has grown in strength. It was formed with a view to open a facility on the Coast because of the need for support for both the dying and their families, previously available only off-Coast. The society is running the hospice in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH). The new facility is an addition within the Shorncliffe nursing home, extending three rooms for more space so visitors can stay over. The third room, between the two suites, is a common room for families, friends and nurses. The room allows space for nurses and families to talk, separate from the patient. The previous hospice facility in Gibsons Garden Inn, which the society ran for the past four years, didn't have the third common room.
"When Shorncliffe said they would give us the third room, we were absolutely delighted," said society secretary/treasurer John Clayton. Patients stay anywhere from hours to months; the typical length of stay is two to three weeks, he said. The new hospice's two rooms are already occupied.
"We're excited because this will offer a very bright facility," said society president Jack Smith. VCH nurses at Shorncliffe will provide pain control and comfort to patients in the two hospice rooms. The society's 35 volunteers provide friendship, comfort and support to patients, either in the patient's home, at the hospice or at other facilities. On-call volunteers fill in when families need a rest, providing vigils 24 hours a day so patients won't spend their final days and nights alone. The society's volunteers also support the people who are grieving.
"[Volunteers] are the backbone of the hospice," hospice co-ordinator Diane Giles said. "They hold out a friendly hand to a person who is dying and also to the family during their time of grief."
Rosemary Hoare has been with the society since its beginning. She said people will often ask her if her volunteer work is gloomy, but she says the volunteers are an empathetic group.
"We get more out of it than we give," Hoare said.
Sechelt Mayor Cam Reid officially opened the facility last Friday in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. He said after the society formed, with the help of the Rotary Club, it gained momentum when John Clayton offered land. Reid thanked the Clayton family for their support along the way.
"They probably are the reason we have a facility," Reid said.
Through fundraising, the society covers the cost of the renovations, rent, food, furnishings and equipment such as electric beds in the two rooms, Clayton said.
"The community was right behind us and we had tremendous support," Clayton said.
VCH staff refer patients to the hospice. Depending on a patient's income, the society will determine through discussions how much the patient can afford to pay towards the society's rent to Shorncliffe, Smith said. The society attempts to break even on the rent, a goal it can't always reach, he added.
