Refuge in a safe harbour
An Cala unit marks 10 years of delivering palliative care
Nancy Dingwall has never forgotten her first experience with palliative care 23 years ago.
“In 1995 when it was still new my dad was in hospital and had been in hospital for about four months and (he) just wanted to go home to die,” the retired physiotherapist and co-chair of the Hospice Palliative Care Society of Cape Breton County recalled on Monday during a reception honouring the 10th anniversary of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital’s An Cala palliative care unit.
“And I mentioned it to a nurse … and within the day, arrangements were made. My Dad was home and he died within the week.
“And that’s where he wanted to be. He was just hanging on to go home.”
Five years later, when her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer, they were visited by a palliative care nurse who said that while they didn’t need the service at that time, the unit was available for when they did.
“So two years later when the time came, again we were fortunate enough to be able to keep her home and without the palliative care team, that wouldn’t have happened,” said Dingwall. “My three brothers and my sister always say it was a gift they gave us to have that journey with our mom — and they made us comfortable enough to be able to keep her home and keep her comfortable enough to be home where she wanted to be.”
Today, Dingwall is one of about 85 volunteers who have helped over the last 10 years within the 10-bed unit, providing an extra measure of comfort to those who are in for a seven- to 14-day stay while their pain and symptoms are being managed.
An Cala means harbour in Gaelic and for many it is just that — a safe harbour where patients and their families can take some refuge from the cares of illness.
Dale Orychock, secretarytreasurer of the Hospice Palliative Care Society of Cape Breton, has been involved in palliative care since its beginnings in Cape Breton.
“For 32 years we’ve been moving forward to providing comfort and care and dignity at the end of life for patients. The unit here was a dream and vision for many years and it has proven to have many benefits,” said Orychock, adding that she’s optimistic there could be an announcement soon of a further unit, a 10-bed offsite hospice residence for people who need longer term care but in a homelike setting.
“We’re optimistic,” said Orychock, adding that negotiations have been taking place and that Halifax and the Annapolis Valley have already been promised residential hospices which they expect to have operational by the fall.
“There’s some wonderful partnerships being developed in this community in terms of the land, in terms of the fundraising and we’ll go forward with that when it’s all official.”
Margaret Anne Morrison, director of palliative care and cancer in the eastern zone of the Nova Scotia Health Care Authority, said in addition to what An Cala does, there’s also the outreach community service that helps many others.
“They get visits from nursing staff on a regular basis and contact with the unit here if they need to so it does provide families an opportunity to stay in their homes if they want to.”
In addition to the reception, there was also a service of remembrance in the hospital’s chapel and a staff palliative care education workshop later in the day.