When my husband, John, became palliative, we wanted to keep him at home. However, as his illness progressed it became clear that this would be far more difficult than we imagined so we chose hospice care, a decision we never regretted. The care he received 24/7 from first class medical staff, personal care workers and volunteers made John’s final weeks as contented as they could be in the circumstances. This lifted a great burden from our family, as the help we received at home could only cover a few hours per day. Since the hospice was a distance from home that presented me with a problem as I do not drive. Family and friends were wonderful in giving rides, but last winter’s weather made the drive difficult, even impossible, some days. I envied my sister in that the hospice where her husband was taken was only a few minutes away from home. A local hospice is a great blessing! – Gloria
“When my husband, Ron, was diagnosed with lung cancer, his wish was to die at home. However he also wanted us to know that should caring for him become too much physically and/or emotionally, he wanted to be placed in a hospice. Unfortunately, there was no hospice in Milton or Halton Hills and no availability elsewhere when the end came. This picture was taken shortly before Ron died. It was the last time we were all together as just family. From then on, we were his caregivers. Our children, Matt and Amy, as well as our daughter-in-law, Tammy, were unable to have time with their father. Our grandson, Jake, could not have time with his Poppa. I did not have the time to be his wife. Those connections were lost and we all missed them so very much. We realized then that a hospice was desperately needed in our community. Working together with friends and family of Tessie Smith the Townsend Smith Foundation was formed. Our goal is to build a place where families can be together with their loved ones as they begin their end-of-life journey in a gentle, dignified way. Everyone should be able to have that time together, to just be there for each other.” – Janet Townsend
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
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