Rising use of Sudbury hospice taxes workers

The demand for spaces at the Maison Vale Hospice in Sudbury is at an all-time high.

But while those numbers are up, the length of stay per resident is down — and for hospice workers, that's emotionally taxing.

Elaine Klym, the director of care at the hospice, said she doesn't know why there's an increase in residents or why those residents are waiting until they are further along in their disease to come to the hospice. But she said she thinks it's because the hospice is gaining visibility and credibility in the community.

The hospice, which opened in 1996 as Maison "La Paix" in downtown Sudbury, has cared for hundreds of people in the final days of their life.

Klym said the demand for the hospice has increased over the years and that means an increase in deaths. A year ago, the average stay was 20 days. Now it’s 10.

Emotionally "tired"

"Last December we had 20 deaths," Klym said. "[That] is the most we have had in a month since we opened."

The month of March is following a similar pattern. They have seen seven deaths so far. And, in a 24 hour period, the hospice saw five deaths.

Roxanne Dupont, a nurse at the hospice, worked during those 24 hours.

"I was really emotionally tired after those deaths," Dupont said. "But you gotta also be there for the rest of the people. You can't be emotionally disconnected because then you're going to affect their life but not in the way you want to."

The nursing staff meets weekly to debrief. But as the number of deaths increase, staff isn't waiting for a formal meeting.

Dupont said management called her at home after her 24 hour shift.

"[They] just wanted to make sure I was okay and that I was doing something for myself in that time and just relaxing," Dupont said.