Saugeen Shores Men’s Probus Club and guests welcomed Carol Rencheck as guest speaker at the Club’s monthly meeting.
Rencheck is Board co-Chair of the Huron Shores Hospice located at Tiverton Park Manor in Tiverton. “The charitable not-for-profit, volunteer-led, community-funded residential hospice, provides quality end-of-life care, at no cost, to residents of Kincardine, Huron-Kinloss, Saugeen Shores and surrounding areas,” said Rencheck.
It was determined that there was a gap in Bruce County for palliative care as the government does not provide funding for hospital palliative care creating difficult situations for families trying to maintain end-of-life care. With a vision of hospice care, Huron Shores became a registered, not-for-profit charity in 2016 and fundraising began with a three-phased approach.
The first Phase was for a one-bed suite in Tiverton Park Manor and that also provided an opportunity to learn what hospice care was all about. Phase 2 is to open a second suite. “We have now reached our goal for a second suite that we anticipate will open this Fall,” said Rencheck. She also said that ultimate goal of Phase 3 would be to have a stand-alone facility of three or four suites.
Huron Shores Hospice opened on May 1, 2018, after years of preparation and fundraising and operates entirely through local community fundraising as it receives no government funding. In addition, all funds raised to support Huron Shores Hospice remain in the community.
The Hospice operates with a volunteer Board of Directors that is, to date, all female with members from Kincardine, Ripley, Lucknow, Saugeen Shores and Tiverton. Saugeen Shores directors are Carol Rencheck, Judy Rich and Cathy Sprague and there is one paid employee who coordinates the hospice care.
The model of care is for the entire family unit. It is 24-hour care seven days a week and is person-centered, in that it is determined beforehand what the potential resident and family wants. A trained volunteer meets with the family and determines through a one-page profile that sets out what is important for the person coming into the suite and also personal information so that a Registered Nurse (RN) can establish a personalized care plan.
“Families are encouraged to bring in personal items such as photos, pieces of art and other items that will make the person feel at home. The suite contains a kitchenette, a small sitting area for family, a hospital bed and table, night table, a sleeper chair and a TV with a second area with a queen-sized bed, night table and comfortable chair, a TV with DVD player and a kids zone. Family members are encouraged to stay with their loved one in the suite and are looked after as a family unit,” explained Rencheck.
“The need is definitely there and will only continue to grow as the population ages. So far, we have helped 17 families with end-of-life care and there were another 18 that we could not accommodate,” said Rencheck. “In South Bruce County, the population over 50 years of age is 42.32 per cent which is 9.11 per cent higher than the Ontario average with 280,000 Canadians dying every year. It is estimated that by 2036, there will 3.3 million people over the age of 80. That’s why residential hospice is so important across the country.”
Referrals to the hospice come from family doctors, nurses and the families themselves. The facility’s medical doctor will visit the potential resident and complete an assessment. The last two weeks before end-of-life have been determined as the most difficult for families and that is the ‘usual’ length of time for a resident’s stay.
Operating costs with a second suite will be approximately $315,000 that must be raised through fundraising and donations. A hospital acute care stay costs the government approximately $1,300 per day while the Hospice cost for the one bed is $700 per day and with a second that will allow operate cost-leveraging, the cost will be reduced even further.
Huron Shores Hospice holds two major fundraisers – the Hike for Hospice on Mothers’ Day weekend in May and the Handbags for Hospice in September. The Hike in 2018 saw 200 participants come out for a day of family fun in Port Elgin and team challenge for a chance to win ‘the cup’. The Handbags event features designer handbags silent auction and live auction for experience packages.
“There was also the Catch the Ace in partnership with Kincardine Legion in 2018 and another with the Tiverton Lions Club,” added Rencheck. “The community has been very generous by hosting fundraisers and there have been memorial donations by families along with grants from organizations, such as the Community Foundation of Grey Bruce.”
Huron Shores Hospice is also committed to changing the conversation around death and dying and new grants enabled new programming, including, hosting Death Cafes and providing death and dying education forums. “We also offer Grief Recovery Method sessions to the public helping the bereaved recover from their grief. End of Life Doula services are also free to any potential residents,” added Recheck. “On April 16th, there will be an educational forum of three sessions at the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre.”
A PSW sits with the resident throughout the night and comfort-care volunteers are welcome and all palliative training is provided through St. Joseph’s Health Centre in London with on-going courses and with the support of the VON.
For more information, visit www.huronshoreshospice.ca
