Penticton Herald

Exceptiona­l end of life care

- BY KARL CROSBY

Mission: “To provide exceptiona­l and compassion­ate care in our community to people who are nearing life’s end.”

The Penticton and District Hospice Society is guided by this mission to be the faithful stewards of Moog and Friends Hospice House.

Unlike the busy bustle of a modern hospital, Moog and Friends Hospice House offers patients and their families a unique and comforting “home-like” experience.

The society works in close partnershi­p with the Interior Health Authority and the Penticton Regional Hospital which provides day-to-day staffing and operations. The Hospice Society provides funds for the very successful and important volunteer program at Hospice, maintenanc­e of the gardens and grounds, interior furnishing­s and other patient comforts such as television­s, telephones and colorful comforters made and donated to Hospice by a generous community.

Located just south of Penticton Regional Hospital, Moog and Friends Hospice House is a unique ‘free-standing” building with 12 well-appointed private rooms which look out onto a tranquil garden area.

A large welcoming and comfortabl­e living room space with a fireplace greets visitors. A modern kitchen where families can prepare meals or coffee and snacks was recently constructe­d with a generous donation by the Sovereign Order of St. John.

Outside the building, a colourful garden with a fountain and comfortabl­e seating for patients and guests is a quiet and peaceful feature. The care of the garden is provided by Interior Health and the Penticton Garden Club.

The Hospice Society was formed in 1981, years before the constructi­on of Hospice, when palliative care beds were located in the hospital. The goal of the Society was to raise funds to build a free standing hospice in Penticton.

Through the generous support of individual­s and former NHL goaltender Andy Moog who donated profits from an annual celebrity golf tournament, Hospice House became a reality.

The Society is administer­ed by a board of directors drawn from the community comprising individual­s who have an interest in hospice. The Society’s offices are located at 502 Ellis Street in Penticton (V2A 4N8). If you wish to serve as a volunteer director of the Society, please call 250-490-1107.

The beating heart of Penticton’s hospice is the active volunteer program where approximat­ely 70 volunteers help patients with services including companions­hip and even music and massage therapy.

“Its not unusual to see dogs visiting patients at Hospice House”, said Ruth Sawyer, current president of the society.

“Our volunteer coordinato­r brought a horse to Hospice House recently on the request of a patient whose wish was to see a horse again.”

Volunteers also participat­e in a community outreach program which sees people in their homes, helping with a broad range of support including errands and dog walking.

“This service at home allows people without family support to stay in their homes longer,” said Sawyer.

Funding to maintain the volunteer program, provide patient comforts and maintain Hospice House as a warm and inviting home, is provided through donations, mostly from individual­s who have experience­d the care provided by Hospice volunteers and staff or others who recognize the benefit of having a hospice in the community.

A significan­t portion of the society’s annual funding comes from a share of the profits of the Care Closet, a successful thrift store operation in Penticton.

The society recently establishe­d a Hospice Endowment Fund which, as it grows, will support the ongoing volunteer program at Hospice House. Donations made to this fund are invested over the long term to provide income for the future needs of patients.

Individual donations and donations in remembranc­e can be made directly to the hospice program at the Society’s website at www.pentictonh­ospice.com or by calling 250-490-1107.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada