Work on new hospice coming along.
Facility located on Membertou First Nation expected to welcome first patients in fall
SYDNEY — Cape Breton’s long-awaited standalone hospice is nearing completion.
Construction of the $5.6-million palliative care facility is on schedule to be finished this summer with patients expected to be welcomed sometime in the autumn.
The 10-bed residence is owned and will be operated by the Hospice Palliative Care Society of Cape Breton. Society co-chair Irene Khattar said construction of the 14,000-square-foot building, that is located on the Membertou First Nation, just several hundred metres from the Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney, has been going very well.
“It’s near completion and should be finished and handed over to the society by midjuly,” confirmed Khattar. “We will then take a couple of months to do the furnishing and put on those extra touches that are so important in creating the environment that is desired. Many of the internal pieces are being completed. There’s been painting and the cabinets are in. Many of the required pieces are coming along quite nicely.”
The long-anticipated project was kickstarted two years ago when the Membertou First Nation donated $1.2 million worth of land and site services to the society for the hospice. At the time, Chief Terry Paul said his people fully support the residence that when completed will offer a comfortable home-like environment for those in need of end of life care.
“Our elders are very much respected in the family unit, they are the ones that have the knowledge and advice and they very much deserve to be cared for up to the end of their days,” said Paul. “We’ve been doing that for centuries. It is the way of our family unit. We look after our people and particularly the elders.”
But while the completion date gets closer, Khattar said there is still lots of work, including some fundraising, to do before the facility welcomes its first patients. She said the society is at this time looking to fundraise another $500,000 to help furnish the residence.
“COVID has taken away all of our large events, so it has been very challenging,” said Khattar. “But it’s very important to see this project through so we are continuing community-based small events such as the Coxheath Hills hike and walk in October.”
And, of course, the society is always willing to accept donations. Khattar said the community has been especially generous with one unnamed donor contributing $250,000. She added that some of the most generous donors are the families of people who have utilized Cape Breton’s palliative care, which for the past 13 years has been centered at the An Cala Unit at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, a unit that was initially intended to be an acute pain and symptom management clinic.
Khattar said another ongoing fundraiser is the Hospice donor catalogue which can be accessed by visiting the society website at hospice cape breton. org. Donors simply pick out an item or items in the catalogue that are needed for each patient room and for the family rooms, the reflection room and therapy rooms, and purchase it for the society.
“It could be an office group looking to buy a particular item for a family room or it could be an individual who wants to add wall art to a patient room or hallway — all of the items have been chosen to create a soothing, calm and tranquil atmosphere,” said Khattar.
Another part of the hospice will be the yet-to-be completed Circle of Life Garden.
The complex will also include a family room, quiet room, multi-purpose room, meeting room, volunteer rooms, doctors’ offices, nurses’ room, kitchen, dining room and laundry.