Chatham-Kent Hospice
The Dream is becoming a Reality
A young mother is stricken with terminal cancer; a middle-aged worker with lung disease; an elderly person with congestive heart failure. To whom do they turn? Who cares for the caregivers? How do you say goodbye to your loved ones? Hospice is not about dying. It is about living.
The dream began in 2011 when a group of dedicated volunteers started meeting regularly with the purpose of establishing a residential hospice in Chatham-Kent. With the support of an independent feasibility study, the partnership with St. Andrew’s Residence, and a proposed business plan, the group secured $920,000 in annual operational funding from the St. Clair Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) in June of 2013. This funding, to be used for direct medical costs only, would not cover the cost to build the hospice or cover 100% of the costs associated with operating a residential hospice but it made the idea of a residential hospice in our community a viable project.
The first challenge of the newly formed Chatham-Kent Hospice Board was to launch a $5 million Capital Campaign – $3 million to build and a $2 million operational sustainability fund. In less than 12 months, the Capital Campaign goal was reached and construction began in early spring 2015.
The Chatham-Kent Hospice will be a 10-bed residential hospice with additional space for bereavement counselling, a resource library, and meeting rooms, with the flexibility to grow and play a role in developing a centre of learning for healthcare providers and the families of Chatham-Kent.
Chatham-Kent Hospice will offer an alternative for people who are unable to or do not wish to die at home but do not require hospitalization. The hospice will care for patients and their families and friends who are dealing with a terminal illness, providing comfort, support, and pain management. Patients are able to die with dignity in a home-like setting. The palliative care team will include doctors, nurses, support staff, and volunteers who provide a range of medical and support services around the clock. Hospice services will be culturally sensitive and offered at no cost to patients and their family. Friends and family members will be encouraged to visit with their loved ones at any time and participate in their end-of-life care.
The collaboration with St. Andrew’s Residence will reduce our operating costs by sharing administrative resources such as purchasing, payroll, and other administrative roles. Hospice direct services however, both medical and non-medical, will remain separate and completely focused on end-of -life care.
While the new residential hospice is being built, fundraising efforts are focused on raising money to offset the cost of necessary furniture and equipment to help make the hospice a home.
Because the annual funding we will receive from the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) will not cover our total annual budget, ongoing fundraising efforts are necessary to ensure residential hospice services are available to our family and friends in the community. Memorial donations have been, and we hope will continue to be, a source of revenue for Chatham-Kent Hospice. We have also benefitted from donations from generous donors and third party fundraisers.
We look forward to opening our doors very soon and providing Chatham-Kent with compassionate, end-of-life care in a home-like setting.
Please consider supporting Chatham-Kent Hospice through a memorial gift, general donation, or through a gift in your will. Your support will assure a valuable resource for citizens of Chatham-Kent – a place for people coming to the end of their life to be wrapped in the love of their community; a place where family and friends can build memories and celebrate life!
