Information session on paliative services volunteering

Hospice Care Ottawa and Carefor-Eastern Counties will be offering 30 hours of specialized training to volunteers who provide services directly to hospice clients. Therefore, the Russell/Embrun Working Group for Palliative Care is organizing a bilingual information session on palliative services volunteering, to be held on Monday, February 27 in Russell.

Although these training programs already exist in Hawkesbury, Ottawa and Orleans, this will be the first in the Russell and Embrun area. The ultimate goal is to build expertise for people, where and when they need it.

Background

The Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) had recognized the communities of Russell and Embrun as lacking in palliative care resources. Upper Canada Health Link and Champlain Hospice Palliative Care Network then decided to organize a community meeting in June 2016, to raise awareness and to welcome community input.

The meeting was at the Embrun arena and was very well attended with input from francophone and anglophone community groups and community health care professionals from both villages.

Interest was demonstrated in expanding palliative care resources at home, as well as in eventually having a hospice in the area. From this initial meeting, the Russell/Embrun Working Group for Palliative Care was formed, consisting of community health care professionals and volunteers.

They have since started to initiate some of the recommendations from the initial meeting. “One of those initiatives was to build expertise within our communities, and so we hope, to hold at least one training course before this summer for volunteers in palliative care support in the home,” explained Anne Schibli, member of the working group.

“The training is free and there are amazing resource people on the committee from Healthlinks, Eastern Counties Carefor, Champlain Hospice Palliative Care, Hospice Care Ottawa, CSCEstrie, as well as a mix of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and volunteers from various community groups.”

The information session on palliative services volunteering will be held on Monday, February 27, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Russell Meadows (475 Church Street, Russell). Anyone interested in attending must contact Paulette Hammell: 613-424-6560 extension 221 or paulette.hammell@hospicecareottawa.ca.