“I believe that the time is now for a hospice here in Milton. After twenty-nine years of loving and living with Peter, his time had come to the end, he was losing his twelve-year battle with chronic myeloid leukaemia. Peter was moved to a hospice in Oakville, it was winter and the drive took forty minutes in good weather with no traffic. He was very well-cared for, as I was, but I was bleary-eyed and exhausted, and it was a hardship to travel so far to be with him in his final hours.” – Miriam Dorland-Haight
Townsend Smith Foundation, with the help of Knox Presbyterian Church and CARP Halton, held an Advance Care Planning information event on May 6th to advocate for changing our perspective on death and dying. Speakers Karen Candy of Carpenter Hospice and Carol Sloan of Acclaim Health spoke to over thirty guests. Karen discussed Compassionate Community and the importance of support and acknowledgment for the bereaved and grieving in our community; Carol encouraged us to plan for inevitable life events by communicating our wishes for personal care to those we love and trust. We had great participation in this complex discussion.
The photo shows (clockwise from top left) guest speakers Carol Sloan of Acclaim Health and Karen Candy of Carpenter House Hospice, and TSF board members Tish Butson, Margaret Doma, and John Barrett.
Such wonderful childhood memories of me with my brother, Peter. Here we are at Rattlesnake Point. 7-year-old me looking up adoringly at my 18-year-old big brother. He fought like crazy when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It was a very dark period in our lives, watching him suffer as he was losing his battle. It was frightening for us as we all took shifts caring for him at home – we didn’t know what we were doing, to be honest. Hospice was the silver lining in this dark abyss. They supported my brother and the rest of us as well. They allowed us to stop and be present in the moment with him. It also gave us one of our most poignant memories – a music therapist came in to play Elton John songs on her guitar. For that half hour, all of his pain disappeared. His body relaxed as he soaked in his favourite music and a sense of calm washed over him. Shortly thereafter, he peacefully slipped away with his family by his side. This is the type of compassionate customized care offered at hospice. Helping to make the end-of-life journey a little more manageable. – Sandy Hatzis
May 1, 2019, Milton, Ontario – With National Palliative Care Week almost upon us, The Townsend Smith Foundation (TSF) is in full support of recognizing the importance of end-of-life care for patients, their loved ones and the caregivers that support them.
National Palliative Care Week will be observed in Canada from May 5-11 this year.
The Foundation is currently raising funds to build a palliative care hospice to serve members of the North Halton communities in their final days. One TSF fundraising initiative will be its second annual Hike for Hospice on May 25, 2019.
Residential hospices are built by communities. Once a hospice is built, government funding can cover some of its operational costs. Largely, a hospice comes together with the support of private and corporate citizens in the form of donations of land, money, and expertise. At the moment, the Foundation is focused on finding a suitable property and raising the $3.5-5 million necessary to build a ten-bed facility for residents of Milton, Georgetown, Acton and the communities in between.
“Few people at the end-of-life actually require acute medical care, yet 70 per cent of deaths occur in hospital,” said John Barrett, TSF President. “Most people would prefer to die at home, but not all have the resources to make this possible. A residential hospice provides a peaceful, private space at no cost to residents and their families.
“Excellent hospice care is provided in Oakville and Burlington, with residents of those cities being a priority. Over a ten-year period, Milton District Hospital classified almost 600 patients as palliative. Only one received a hospice bed. With a combined population of almost 200,000, North Halton desperately needs a local option.”
Established in 2011, the Townsend Smith Foundation was named for the late Ron Townsend and the late Tessie Smith, both active Milton residents. The Foundation is a registered charitable corporation.
CONTACT:
John Barrett, President
Townsend Smith Foundation
Tel: 289-878-3407
E-mail: admin@townsend-smith.ca
“John Marshall was a man with a passion for life, which he passed down to his children. He wished for donations to be made to benefit hospice care, specifically in Milton, because of the passion his daughter Dr. Deb Marshall has for improving palliative care access in Milton. John was fortunate enough to have a wonderful family and care team that supported his wish to die at home. He was aware not everyone has this support – and access to hospice care in one’s community is priceless.”
Such wonderful childhood memories of me with my brother, Peter. Here we are at Rattlesnake Point. 7-year-old me looking up adoringly at my 18-year-old big brother. He fought like crazy when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It was a very dark period in our lives, watching him suffer as he was losing his battle. It was frightening for us as we all took shifts caring for him at home – we didn’t know what we were doing, to be honest. Hospice was the silver lining in this dark abyss. They supported my brother and the rest of us as well. They allowed us to stop and be present in the moment with him. It also gave us one of our most poignant memories – a music therapist came in to play Elton John songs on her guitar. For that half hour, all of his pain disappeared. His body relaxed as he soaked in his favourite music and a sense of calm washed over him. Shortly thereafter, he peacefully slipped away with his family by his side. This is the type of compassionate customized care offered at hospice. Helping to make the end-of-life journey a little more manageable. – Sandy Hatzis