Summer 2018
PALLIATIVE “CARE” NEWS
Website Launch
We are extremely excited to announce the Launch of our New “Let’s Talk about Care”
Website. This beautiful website has a user friendly interface making it easy to access
resources, events, workshops and contact us. There are resources for persons with a
life limiting illness, loved ones, friends, volunteers and healthcare professionals to
access for each stage of care.
• Check out our new website @ www.gphospice.ca or visit us on Facebook
@ GP Hospice Palliative Care Society
• Our new website allows you to browse our resources and workshops with
ease. A simple click of a button allows you to download a resource or
book a workshop that may be of interest to you.
• Check in often because our downloadable resource library is growing
every day.
Sponsored by
Community Workshops Website Launch Virtual Care Project Let’s Talk about Care Save the Date
Summer 2018
PALLIATIVE “CARE” NEWS
Let’s Talk About Care
GPHPCS is excited to launch this resource. It can be utilized as a complete document
or as individual tools. It is a one stop resource for all the basic things you need from
diagnosis to after. It provides information, tips, tools and resources for the following:
• Confronting a life limiting Illness – giving those faced with illness
affirmation about what they are feeling, things they may need to address
and where they can find support
• Let’s Start the Conversation – is a tool to help people prepare for and start
the difficult conversation about death and their wishes. This booklet helps
the reader reflect on what their personal values are, their life goals, and
finding a spokesperson. It also provides tools to help record your wishes
after you have had the conversation with your loved ones.
• Care for the Caregiver – offers self-care tools and resources for those,
both professional and personal, caring for someone at end of life.
• Compassion Fatigue – explains compassion fatigue, signs, and
symptoms. This booklet provides tools, tips, tricks and resources to
recognize, and combat compassion fatigue.
• Practical Guide for Family members and Caregivers Coping with a loss –
this guide gives detail on what to expect once someone dies. It gives you
a checklist of items you will need to have available, how to access death
certificates and supports to find funeral arrangements. It gives you
information on financial assistance, life insurance, and settling estates. It
also provides grief resources, tools, and when to seek professional help
Summer 2018
PALLIATIVE “CARE” NEWS
Community Care Workshops
The Community Care Pilot Project is in full swing. This project is graciously supported
by FCSS City of Grande Prairie and its goal is to provide supports, tools and resources
for both the professional and personal caregiver. GPHPCS recognizes that grief is fluid
and moves in and out of our lives in varying forms and times. The goals of these
workshops are to provide tools and mental wellness techniques for all persons caring
for people in varying stages of end-of-life.
Programs
Comfort Care Bags - With ongoing support of GPHPCS Comfort Care Bag Program
we can continue to supply hospice patients and their families with a Comfort Care Bag
upon admission. Our program has grown to the extent that we are starting to be able to
individualize the content of each bag to meet the specific need of the client and family.
The Comfort Care Bag Program has grown outside the hospice and into the community
by word of mouth, newsletters, information provided on our website and Facebook. We
are now receiving community and personal requests for palliative care families living
outside the hospice.
Memory Globes - Memory Globes serve two very important purposes in palliative, end-
of-life care here at the Grande Prairie Hospice Palliative Care Society.
The globes were created to symbolize the memory of someone very special to you. The
butterfly within the globe has deep meaning in many cultures. To Native Americans, the
butterfly is a symbol of change, joy and color. The exquisite butterfly was considered a
miracle of transformation and resurrection, representing the never-ending life cycle. In
early Christianity, the butterfly was a symbol of the Soul. Therefore; when you look at
the globe it is meant to make you smile and recall a beautiful memory of a loved one
that is gone but not forgotten.
Living Wall - The rejuvenation of the Living Wall in the foyer at Points West Hospice is
in full swing. Staff and volunteers have completed the take down and sterilization of the
area. New soil and temporary plants have been added to the space while a long term
sustainable plan is put in place for the wall.
Summer 2018
PALLIATIVE “CARE” NEWS
Events
Butterfly Release – The 2nd Annual Butterfly Release was a huge success! We Sold close to 250 Butterflies and had over 600 people show up to support this great cause. A very special thank you again to our Sponsors for making this happening:
Meghan Robinson for your generous donation of $1500 in butterfly sales!
Secure Energy - Hot Dogs and Burgers Maximum Tank Truck Services - Water & Juice Kemko - Kids Zone Face Painting & Games
Sunflower Sales – GPHPCS staff went into the local schools to talk with the students
about palliative care and ask them to paint flower pots for our 1st Annual Sunflower
Fundraiser. A Special thank you to JDA Oilfield and Canadian Tire for donating the
funds to purchase pots for the students to paint, and Fenton’s Greenhouse for donating
all the sunflowers for the pots. This was a fantastic campaign to start talking openly with
kids about palliative care and grief. All proceeds from the sale of the Sunflower pots will
be utilized to improve palliative care resources and supports in our communities.
Summer 2018
PALLIATIVE “CARE” NEWS
Volunteers
Developing volunteer programs for hospice is a slow and steady process. We are happy
to announce that we have a few regular volunteers at PWL Hospice and several more
developing skills to become palliative care volunteers. We also have volunteers
interested in becoming virtual volunteers as soon as the Virtual Care Program is
implemented.
Volunteer Opportunities
We are seeking volunteers for the following programs:
Friendly Visitor – Friendly visitors go to the facility and visit residents that could benefit
from a little extra company. Most residents a Friendly Visitor visits are still high
functioning and interact with their visitors very well.
Palliative Care Vigil – These volunteers are given extensive training and support to
provide presence and support to those very close to death.
Pet Visitation – we are seeking volunteers with well trained and groomed animals
interested in providing Pet Visitation to hospice. Pets are required to be up to date on
their vaccinations and pass a screening process to ensure they are suitable in the
palliative care environment.
Summer 2018
PALLIATIVE “CARE” NEWS
Helping Hands – This is an excellent way to help volunteers become comfortable with
palliative care and the facility environment. Volunteers can come into the facility, water
plants, help decorate, wash dishes, fold laundry allowing the staff more one to one time
with the residents needing their attention. Points West Hospice is a unique nursing
environment where nurses not only provide nursing care, they wash and fold laundry,
serve meals and wash dishes, care for all the living plants in the facility, decorate for
seasons, special occasions and events and so much more. Volunteer can help lighten
their workload allowing the nursing staff more time to provide nursing care.
Coming Soon
Virtual Care Program – Virtual “Care” in the palliative care field has been a vision of
the GPHPCS for a very long time. This vision has moved into the next faze with the help
and support of our local Rotary Club. The Rotary has provided funding to purchase
iPads and smart devices for people utilizing PWL Hospice for care. These devices will
be equipped with:
• Skype and What’s app for families to stay in contact no matter where they
are.
• Kobo Books with a list of Palliative Books to provide support, stories and
resources for palliative persons and those around them.
• GPHPCS App allowing a direct link to our website, resources and
supports 24/7
• YouTube App with a list of Palliative supports, stories and videos
• Better Impact Link to learn about hospice volunteers, what volunteer
programs are available, how to become a volunteer, and logging volunteer
hours
• Slack App for palliative persons or those around them to access volunteer
Summer 2018
PALLIATIVE “CARE” NEWS
Special Thanks
Thanks to the dedication and support of ALL our Donors we are able to
continue to provide Expert end-of-life care to our community and the
communities in the surrounding areas.
Grande Prairie Hospice Palliative Care Society Funded in part by: