What is Hospice?
Hospice is an approach to care that:
- Emphasizes comfort, quality of life and dignity to those approaching death,
- Provides friendship and assistance from volunteers who understand the needs of patients and their families,
- Affirms every person’s right to die with dignity, and to be informed and involved in decisions affecting their care,
- Enables terminally ill people to be cared for and die at home if desired, and
- Focuses on quality of living when cure is no longer an option.
Mission
The Terrace Hospice Society provides a volunteer-based program that offers compassionate care and support for the dying, their caregivers, and the bereaved in the community.
Our Service Area
Our geographical area covers: Thornhill and West to New Remo road, northern areas on Kalum Lake Road, that are within a 15 minute drive and areas south on Highway 37 that are within a 15 minute drive.
The Terrace Hospice Society became a registered society on August 13, 1992. It began as a group who shared concerns regarding support services for the terminally ill and their families.
The group of community members was composed of local physicians, hospital staff nurses, the Home Support Program, the Seniors Centre, the Mental Health Centre Program, Social Worker Services, Pastoral Services, the Continuing Care Division and other interested community member. Information was gathered from many other Hospice Groups in small communities throughout the province.
The first public information meeting was September 29, 1992.
With the trend to provide “Closer to Home” care, and the reduction in hospital beds, there are increasing numbers of terminally ill people choosing to stay at home and be cared for by family and friends. The society provides trained volunteers who can support these clients, their families and other caregivers who are coping with the physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of terminal illness. In many cases, this additional support helps prevent caregiver burn-out, and therefore, reduces frequent re-admissions of the client to the hospital.
The program provides support to Terrace and District and provides resources to outlying Northwest communities.
Several other services provided by the Terrace Hospice Society are listed and covered in detail under the HOW CAN WE HELP? tab.