KAWARTHA LAKES- This May you can put your best foot forward, lacing up your running shoes to raise money for hospice and palliative care programs in the City of Kawartha Lakes.
“Death is something we’re uncomfortable with as a society; it’s something we’re all going to have an experience with; we likely all have had someone close to us die.” Ryan Alexander, Manager of Hospice Services told Kawartha 411 News. “We want to make sure that journey for individuals and families is as smooth as possible, has the highest quality possible, and there’s opportunity to find hope even in those last days, weeks, months, years of life and we like to support people through that journey of grief.”
The 14th annual Hike for Hospice is raising money to ensure Hospice is there when we need them. “We have some pieces of our services that are unfunded, our grief support programs don’t receive any funding from the Ministry of Health, and the palliative care end of what we do.” Alexander says. “The demand for that service, it’s starting to exceed where funding is at so that has us getting creative to try and meet that demand with resources appropriately so families and individuals living with life-limiting illness can receive the support they need.”
Community Care Hospice Services mandate is to ease the journey through critical illness and grief and to make sure people who are living with life limiting illnesses as well as their families have the best quality of life while they’re here.
“That might be linking families with volunteer support and the home for practical social emotional support while giving respite to a caregiver. It might be someone coming to a cancer support group here at Hospice to receive information and support from people who are participating in similar circumstances in their life.”Alexander explains. “It might be support from our palliative care community team, which puts families and individuals in touch with Hospice Navigator, who can help to link up with the services and supports that are required throughout the journey of illness, and then we also like to support people through their journey with grief, so once the family member dies, we can continue to support them through their journey with grief and support them for as long as possible.”
Alexander says people should start thinking about reaching out to Hospice at the time of diagnosis of a life limiting illness such as cancer, ALS etcetera.
Ross Memorial Hospital has 6 palliative care beds. There is no residential hospice in the City of Kawartha Lakes currently however it’s something that officials believe is needed.
“There is a movement through our LHIN right now, essentially it’s Local Health Integration Network where Peterborough is building a ten-bed hospice, Northumberland is working on a residential hospice, Port Perry, Whitby, have all started to undertake a build for residential Hospices.” Alexander says. “It’s part of our vision and we’re a few years away from that but we would like to see that come towards our community because we see that as an instrumental piece of our Hospice; that has all the services I described earlier as well as offering a residential hospice for people to come to in those later stages of life and potentially the opportunity for Day Hospice as well.”
The Hike for Hospice is on Sunday May 6th. It’s a 1km or 5km hike on the Rotary Trail in Lindsay. You can join a team or hike on your own. “We’re hoping that lots of local people will want to participate in the hike.” Mike Puffer, Communications Coordinator, Community Care says. “They can get a pledge sheet from any of our community care offices, they can go online and register electronically, and collect pledges from friends and family far and wide.”
The hike is being presented by the Community Care Foundation and they hope to raise at least $20,000.
Click here for all the details:https://www.ccckl.ca/services/hospice/hike-for-hospice-2018/
