An Okotoks facility goes the extra mile to ensure the last days of its residents are the best experience possible, but it’s not always easy.
Foothills Country Hospice Society executive director Dawn Elliott said with financial times being tough for most people, it can be a challenge meeting the varying needs of its residents when almost half of the facility’s costs are reliant on donations, fundraisers and grants.
“This year feels a little bit tougher than most,” said Elliott. “Times are a little challenging right now and not a lot of people have a lot of money. We’re trying to be creative in a number of different ways to fundraise.”
The cost to operate the hospice is about $3 million a year, which equates to about $1,035 per resident per day, with 57 per cent covered by Alberta Health Services, leaving about $1.3 million to be collected through fundraising events like Hike for Hospice and the rally, donations and grants.
The hospice is one of eight recipients of the Western Wheel Cares fundraising campaign.
On its wish list this year is replacing a chairlift to assist patients in and out of the tub, estimated to cost about $13,000, replacing fall mats beside resident beds, estimated at about $1,500 for five, and about $500 worth of service work for the facility’s tractor.
Elliott said the tractor is used for grounds maintenance like cutting grass, moving mulch for landscaping and snow removal.
“It needs a really good servicing with minor repairs to make sure it runs throughout the entire winter,” said Elliott. “We use it to clear our pathways. We have beautiful pathways around our hospice for our residents and families to walk on and just to take their mind off of things.”
Clinical manager Karen Tiedje said the chairlift, which is on a hydraulics system, helps to lift patients in and out of the tub. She said it’s used quite often by residents in the hospice.
“Residents that come from home, especially, are so grateful to have a tub when they come into the hospice,” she said. “We’re looking at replacing our tub and we also have to replace our lift.”
The estimated cost for the chairlift is $13,200. The hospice was approved for a $7,500 grant and, therefore, requires $5,700 to purchase the lift, said Tiedje.
Also needing to be replaced are the hospice’s fall mats, which Tiedje said are placed beside resident beds to act as a cushion in case a resident tries to get out of bed and falls.
“They reduce risk of injury if someone gets up without assistance,” she said. “We try to keep our residents as safe as possible with other strategies, but if those fail then they land on something soft.”
While Tiedje said the hospice has eight rooms, she said five or six mats are adequate as they typically don’t have eight residents at a time who are at risk of falling.
“We really put those in place for people that are really at risk,” she said.
Tiedje said the goal of hospice staff is to provide safe, high-quality care to all of its residents.
“We really focus on dignity and compassion and really want to make it a holistic care that we’re providing for them,” she said. “It’s really important to care for these vulnerable people in these last days and weeks and months.
“Their care needs can be very complex so we want to make sure we’re meeting all their needs including bereavement and grief support. All parts of our program are important for the residents and families.”
Elliott said the society relies a lot on community support to keep the facility operating.
“Our hospice is in its 11th year and things get tired over time and we need to replace certain items,” she said. “We want to make sure the items we have are safe so we can keep running our hospice the way we like to run it.”
Elliott said it’s supporters like the Wheel Cares campaign that assist the society in meeting the needs of its residents, no matter how short the time.
“We’re very grateful for the Western Wheel for every year we have been chosen to be a recipient and the generosity of everybody’s contribution from our community and outlying areas,” she said. “That really makes a difference for us and we’re extremely grateful.”
Other 2019 Western Wheel Cares campaign recipients are Pound Rescue, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Magic of Christmas, Okotoks Food Bank, Inclusion Foothills, Rowan House Emergency Shelter and Sheep River Health Trust.
Donations to the Western Wheel Cares campaign can be made via credit card, debit, cash or cheque (payable to Western Wheel Cares) at #9 McRae Street, mailed to Box 150 Okotoks, AB T1S 2A2 (please do not mail cash) or by calling 403-938-6397. Visit www.okotokstoday.ca to donate using PayPal.
Donations of $10 or more will receive a 2019 official tax receipt at the end of the campaign. For more information call the Western Wheel office Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 403-938-6397 or email Gayle Wolf at [email protected]
