Maison McCulloch Hospice in Sudbury eyes 10-bed expansion for 2018

Construction will begin this summer on the 16,000 square foot, 10-bed expansion at the Maison McCulloch Hospice in Sudbury.

With the schematic designs completed, Leo Therrien, the executive director of the end-of-life facility on Bethel Lake, said he expects construction to begin in June.

The hospice hasn't revealed the price tag, but they are expected to announce their capital campaign on Wednesday.

Therrien said the addition will mean they'll be able to serve twice as many palliative patients as they currently do, and the new rooms will be in sight of two of Sudbury's nearby lakes.

Pediatric suite part of vision for add-on

The expansion will also include a pediatric suite, for families with children in hospice.

The expansion will be built on nearby land, sub-leased to the hospice by St Joseph's Health Centre, Therrien said.

"We got almost two more acres of land that was sub leased to us from St Joe's," Therrien said, "so we will go on the south part of the hospice land, so on 1028 South Bay Road."

"That means that we'll be able to build more rooms with a view of Bethel Lake on the sunrise, and on the sunset on Ramsey Lake, on the other side."

Expansion will relieve pressure on limited space

Therrien said there is a need for more hospice beds since they've had to turn people away due to lack of space.

"Actually in the last five years, 30 per cent of people who've applied to the hospice weren't able to come in," he said, "so we know that there's more need for people at end-of-life, cause even though they want to die at home they don't always have the capacity or the support to stay at home."

The new expansion is expected to open to patients in the summer of 2018.