West Lake and hospice partnering to enhance palliative care in Prince Edward County
Partnership will bring palliative care volunteers to West Lake Terrace as well as provide education to staff
West Lake Terrace and Hospice Prince Edward are in the process of forming a partnership that will see trained volunteers from the hospice go to West Lake, should a person they’ve been serving in the community move into the long-term care home.
The goal for the home and the hospice is to enhance palliative practices by providing seamless care in Prince Edward County.
The idea for the collaboration began last week when West Lake Terrace life enrichment co-ordinator Janie Denard received a phone call from Hospice Prince Edward service co-ordinator Jane Moon, asking if the home was interested in partnering to enhance palliative care.
Given that West Lake Terrace is always striving to improve the quality of its palliative and end-of-life care practices, the interest from the hospice was great news, Janie tells The OMNIway.
On July 25, Janie and hospice representatives met to discuss the idea.
“If there is a client that they have been serving in the community who already has volunteer visitors in place, what we want to do is for them to bring those services with them, if (the patient) comes to West Lake Terrace,” Janie says.
“We don’t want them to lose their community supports through Hospice Prince Edward; we want them to have the same volunteers that come and visit them and have the same supports, so that’s one less change they’re going to feel when they have to come to long-term care.”
Additionally, Hospice Prince Edward has offered to provide West Lake Terrace team members with educational sessions focused on palliative care, end-of-life care and bereavement.
Hospice representatives will also be meeting with the West Lake Terrace family council to answer questions and listen to suggestions.
Hospice Prince Edward will also be providing West Lake Terrace with volunteers to have discussions with residents about what their wishes are for end-of-life care.
Janie says the partnership is music to her ears.
“I had chills through the whole meeting – I thought (Hospice Prince Edward’s ideas) were fantastic,” she says.
“It’s so important to us to keep our community partnerships and add to the resources that we have.”
– This is Part 1 of a two-part story
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