Valley Hospice Foundation to meet with province
Preston Mulligan | CBC News | Posted: February 3, 2016 10:20 AM | Last Updated: February 3, 2016
The Valley Hospice foundation has raised $4M for a new facility, location has yet to be picked
The chair of the Valley Hospice Foundation says there may be some good news for people waiting for hospice care in the area. After 15 years, the province is ready to talk.
"We do have a meeting," said Diana Patterson.
Nova Scotia's Department of Health and Wellness will release a draft policy on Friday for a framework for the development of hospices in Nova Scotia.
Patterson said she has read the draft but won't talk about what it contains until after it's released. She said her foundation has a meeting on Monday with the Nova Scotia Health Authority to discuss it.
Location needed
A provincial framework for providing hospice care is a small step forward. Patterson is hopeful that, after years of waiting, a plan for where to put the facility and how it will be staffed isn't far off.
"I think we have to wait and see," she said. "I don't know if there would be LPNs as well as RNs, therapists, doctors, I don't know."
The foundation's vision for a hospice would have eight to 10 beds in private rooms with space for family members to spend the night. It could have a common living room and a library.
Patterson said she'd like to see it close to the Valley Regional Hospital, but an exact location has yet to be decided.
She said on any given day there are as many as 10 to 15 people at the Valley Regional Hospital who would be better served in a hospice facility.
"Our money is in the bank and we're waiting for the go," she said.
$4M raised for hospice
The Valley Hospice Foundation began fundraising 15 years ago and raised $4 million.
Patterson said she expects to discuss operational issues, such as staffing, at Monday's meeting.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health confirms it is meeting with all the hospice societies in the province.
"At this meeting we'll have an opportunity to receive feedback from the hospice societies that will help to inform policy establishing hospice as a setting for palliative care," said Tony Kiritsis.
"We are still in a developmental stage in this work and it's still too early to discuss timelines."