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Hiking along for Hospice
Did you know Prince Edward County has a Hospice? Sure you did. You did know, right? And, did you know the Hike for Hospice is happening this year? Betcha didn’t give it a second thought because, “How can you have a Hike for Hospice if we’re locked down, told to stay home and not supposed to be near anyone except the people who are in our family group?” Well, that’s what I thought, too. But there really is a fundraiser this year for Hospice Prince Edward, and it really is happening and I’m really going to be Hiking for Hospice. And this year marks the tenth anniversary of the Hike for Hospice. And, then?
Well, and then I’m going to tell you a little of what I know, and have read, about Hospice Prince Edward, and you’ll understand why I’m going to really and truly Hike for Hospice Prince Edward this year. I’ll paraphrase a bit here because the words are best said by the people who created Hospice Prince Edward. In 1989 a small group, led by Mark Davis, Wendy Davis and Donna Joyce, came together to form COPE…HELP FOR THE BEREAVED. In 1990 COPE was incorporated and became a registered charity. The Prince Edward Palliative Care Association was created in 1996 by Dr. Graham Burke. In 2000, those two organizations teamed up and Hospice Prince Edward was born. For those of you who don’t know, and for those of you who might need a reminder, a three-bed residential hospice opened in August of 2013 on Downes Avenue. Hospice Prince Edward provides “dignity in death, grief and bereavement support for people affected by life-limiting illness. At a symbolic level, the hospice is a home. At a function level, it is a home, a care facility and a workplace. It is a community meeting place, a place of celebration of lives lived, and a place of sharing knowledge and stories.” What I can say about hospice, in general, is how I wish my family had had access to such a place when my parents, along with myself and my siblings, were in need in 2008 and in 2009. Hospice Toronto was available at the time but it never occurred to any one of us to ask for help. Not once did anyone of the hospital staff suggest hospice care when, on both occasions, my parents’ stay in the Geriatric Unit of TEGH went on for months. Instead in 2008, my Mother passed away in a room, by herself. The medical staff said she had C. difficile (she did not have this bacteria) and warehoused her in a room at the end of a long hallway. One year later, my father died, alone, in the same hospital. It was impossible for us to be with our parents 24/7. Knowing our much-loved family members passed away without the dignity and the respect deserved in their end-of-life days is very difficult. As a family, my brothers and sisters spent as much time with our parents, during their time in the hospital, as was humanly possible. We really wish we’d known there was a better, more compassionate way.
I will Hike for Hospice Prince Edward because there is a more loving way. “Hospice is a type of medical care to maintain and improve the quality of life for a person whose condition is unlikely to be cured. Hospice focuses on helping a patient be comfortable and feel supported.” How fortunate are we, as a community, to have such a wonderful hospice facility, right here. How fortunate are we to have a place where our loved ones will receive all of “the professional care, comfort and warmth of a home setting”. My parents were loved and gave love. They deserved to be honoured and treated with grace, especially during their final days.
I will Hike for Hospice, this week, and next, to honour all of the people we have loved and who gave love. It’s easy, during these Pandemic Times, to forget to make a financial contribution to wonderful places like Hospice Prince Edward. Please consider making a donation to this very important institution in our community.
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