Brandon needs hospice to offer better end-of-life care outside Winnipeg, group says

A southwestern Manitoba hospice group wants an end-of-life residence built for people who live outside of Winnipeg.

Brandon, the largest city in the region, has no standalone hospice. The closest one is in Winnipeg, more than 200 kilometres away, said Westman Hospice Association president Betty Hinch.

That's why her organization is fundraising to get a hospice residence built in Brandon.

Standalone hospice facilities in the community typically offer a home-like setting for people with life-limiting illnesses and are staffed 24/7, providing an option for people who can't stay in their own homes but don't want to spend their last days in a hospital.

"This is something that's been a dream, and we would love to see it as a reality," Hinch said.

While there are palliative care units in many hospitals, a hospice is distinct because it "provides a home-like atmosphere to give people comfort," with staff trained to support people at the end of their lives, said Daniel Nowoselski, the advocacy manager of hospice palliative care for the Canadian Cancer Society.

"Making sure that option is available to residents outside of Winnipeg is a really important challenge."

The Westman Hospice Association has partnered with the Canadian Cancer Society to demonstrate that Brandon — a city of 54,000 with a surrounding population of more than 100,000 — needs a hospice residence for those who have just months to live.

Together they've launched an ad campaign, including billboards and bus stop signs, to highlight the lack of a hospice in Brandon, and to encourage people to donate to or volunteer with the Westman Hospice Association, Hinch said.

But the organization will need to secure funding in order to start planning a build, Hinch said.

Hinch estimates the group needs to raise at least $2 million to build a hospice like those in similar-sized communities outside Manitoba. She says they're also working on partnerships with the province and regional health authority.

In an email statement to CBC News, Prairie Mountain Health CEO Treena Slate says the health authority "recognizes the need for enhanced community-based programming," and its regional palliative care team works directly with Westman Hospice Association to try to improve the quality of life for patients who have a life-limiting illness.

However, the health authority does not provide financial or capital support to the association, she said.

Demand on the rise

Kirsten White-van Dijk, a Westman Hospice Association board member, says there are 12 palliative hospital beds in Brandon for patients diagnosed with a progressive, incurable and life-limiting illness. Those beds are always full, she said.

The Westman Hospice Association has around 12 clients right now and about seven volunteers working with people from across Westman.

The demand for care and volunteers has only grown since the organization started in the early 1990s, she said.

"They don't want to go in the hospital.… They'd rather die at home," White-van Dijk said. "That's when we come in ... to help the family."

The Canadian Cancer Society's Nowoselski said working with the Westman Hospice Association is part of a larger effort to bring hospice care closer to more communities across Canada, particularly in Manitoba and Ontario.

"We see across the country that people don't have access to the … care we deserve," he said.

A Canadian Cancer Society report found that on average, there are just under four hospice beds per 100,000 people in the country. According to the report, the number of beds should be closer to seven, said Nowoselski.

The Cancer Society wants to see a plan established by government to ensure there are ways for groups like the Westman Hospice Association to get spaces built, he said.

"There's a huge benefit to having [a hospice centre] in your community, a place to go for grief and bereavement support. Even if your loved one doesn't end up in the hospice, they'll still help you with those supports."

The Westman Hospice Association wants to build a residence of 10 beds, Hinch said. It's also considering buying a home that would be similar to Jocelyn House Hospice in Winnipeg and could accommodate four or five people.

Once built, the hospice would include a kitchen, nurses to help with palliative care, and parking for visitors and volunteers, White-van Dijk said. Her association wants the residence built in Brandon because it is central for Westman residents and ensures people in the city will be able to more easily visit with loved ones.

"We're looking for a place for people to have that last journey in a nice atmosphere," said Hinch. "Building a hospice would be wonderful."