Palliative care residence raising funds for expansion
The West Island Palliative Care Residence in Kirkland is merging its two facilities into one.
A capital campaign to raise $12.5 million for the project was launched last week in Kirkland and the residence’s Labrador-mix puppy Abbey was there to welcome the dignitaries as they filed into the lobby.
Abbey belongs to maintenance man Martin Desbiens. She spends her days roaming the halls to mingle with patients and their families. Her job is simple. Wag tail. Cuddle. Calm. She does it well.
The WIPCR is the largest independent palliative care facility in Canada. End-of-life care is offered in a serene setting with rooms that have private terraces. The sterility of a hospital setting is replaced by warm and welcoming comfort areas and the comforts of home.
The residence currently operates in two locations, the original nine-bed facility in Kirkland and a 14-bed dedicated floor in a longterm care facility in Pointe-Claire.
The almost-30,000-sq.-ft. expansion, designed by the architectural firm FSA, will allow for the 23 beds to be gathered under one roof. The land for the expansion was secured, at no cost, by the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation.
The new construction will include rooms for 14 patients, a family room, psycho-social room and a playroom for the children.
Executive director Teresa Dellar said the current two-site model was not financially sustainable.
“The consolidation results in a huge cost savings of nearly $400,000 a year. And it saves staff from having to run back and forth between facilities. It’s a win-win for patients and families and us.”
The Caring & Sharing — Under One Roof campaign has already raised $7 million. A portion of the campaign — $1.5 million — is earmarked to finance the creation of a National Education and Knowledge Transfer Program. The program will facilitate the sharing of the WIPCR’s expertise further afield. The non-profit residence has offered free, end-of-life care for more than 3,800 patients and 15,000 family members since it opened 16 years ago.
“Our campaign is about hope and belief,” Dellar said. “We have faith in the community that has been so supportive of us. In Canada, 70 per cent of Canadians do not have access to palliative care. We have to change that.”
Capital campaign co-chair and National Bank of Canada vicechair Luc Bertrand addressed the gathering at the Kirkland facility last Wednesday, saying a society is judged by the level of care it offers its sick, elderly and dying. He said the campaign’s official launch was off to a rousing start with a donor in their midst contributing $100,000 that morning.
Bertrand is co-chair with Erin O’Brien, an executive committee member with Jarislowsky, Fraser Ltd. The expanded facility will also be the headquarters of the future Montreal Institute of Palliative Care.
The residence receives one-third of its $5.2-million budget from the Quebec government. Community support and fundraising provide the remaining $3.5 million.
The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for June 1 and the estimated completion date is fall, 2019.