Image Courtesy of Deep River and District Health
Deep River and District Health is asking residents across the Upper Ottawa Valley to help shape plans for a new residential hospice that will be created as part of its expanding health campus.
The organization will host a series of community planning sessions later this month to gather feedback on the design, services and programs that should be offered at the future hospice.
The residential hospice will be developed in the current Four Seasons Lodge space once a new 96-bed long-term care home opens on the Deep River and District Health Campus. The facility is intended to provide end-of-life care closer to home while supporting patients and their families in a dedicated setting.
Deep River and District Health president and chief executive officer Janna Hotson said community input will help ensure the hospice reflects local needs and priorities.
She said the organization wants to hear from people with lived experience of hospice or end-of-life care, including patients, family members, caregivers, health-care professionals, volunteers and community organizations.
Planning sessions will ask participants to provide feedback on the types of programs, services and supports the hospice should offer, as well as features that would help create a welcoming and compassionate environment for patients and families.
Five sessions are scheduled, with meetings taking place in Deep River, Petawawa and Stonecliffe between July 21 and July 30. Residents are invited to attend whichever session is most convenient.
People are encouraged to RSVP in advance to assist with planning, although walk-in participants will also be welcomed.
(Steve Berard)
