When a loved one is dealing with advanced illness, they need and deserve to be supported. Caregivers and family members do too.
Hospice Orillia is a community-based hospice that has been assisting people since 1989, offering numerous programs to help community members cope with advanced illness, death and bereavement.
Their services are provided to anyone who is living with a life-limiting illness and/or their friends, family members and caregivers. Assistance is provided at the client’s home—wherever “home” is.
The philosophy behind their work is based on the belief that death is a part of life, a rite of passage, and that there is much that can be done to help individuals and their families face this time with dignity and enhance their quality of life. They understand that everyone is unique and their distinctness will be respected within an atmosphere of confidentiality.
“Community hospice is more than just end-of-life support,” says Amanda Tevelde, Communications, Fundraising and Community Relations Specialist at Hospice Orillia. “We are a partially funded organization that provides support to clients and their loved ones during some of the most difficult times of their lives. All of our services are offered free of charge to anyone in need. We are only able to do so because of the donations we receive from our community combined with the generous support of our volunteers.”
One of the most common misconceptions is that in order to receive hospice support you must be in a residential facility. “This couldn’t be further from the truth,” says Tevelde. “Both residential and community-based hospices provide comfort and dignity for the person living with the illness, as well as the best quality of life for both this person and their family."
The Hospice Orillia program provides practical, emotional and spiritual support, though they do not administer nursing care.
Impact
During the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the Hospice Orillia program directly served 365 individuals.
In 2022, the hospice successfully completed the accreditation review process for the Visiting Hospice Program with a result of 98.17%—one of the highest results Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO) has seen over the years.
“Accreditation serves as an indicator of our commitment to continuous learning and improvement, and assures the delivery of consistent, high-quality hospice palliative care. The evidence provided throughout the stringent HPCO accreditation process demonstrates that Hospice Orillia has strong governance and operational and service delivery processes in place,” she says.
Clients often say they wished they’d heard about the program sooner. The following is just a sample of some of the feedback they have received:
“We are fortunate and grateful that we were connected with Hospice
Orillia during the palliative stage of my husband’s life. The staff and volunteers provided care, understanding and gave him purpose, in the comfort of our home. He looked forward to the visits to play games, Footprints meetings and reiki sessions, something he had never done before. He loved people and with the help of Hospice Orillia, he was excited to talk to new people and share his world with them.
During our difficult journey, Hospice Orillia was one of the few things that brought comfort and joy in our lives. Hospice Orillia not only provided support for my late husband but did for me as well and continues to help me through the grieving process.
We can’t thank Hospice Orillia enough for the wonderful services they offer.”
“During this process I felt very comfortable as the girls from Hospice were so accommodating and patient with me as I fumbled with writing as I am totally non-verbal,” Anne, a Footprints Project participant, notes. “This Footprints program gave me the opportunity to leave my family and future grandchildren the information I wanted them to remember about my life and the things that are so important to me.”
Volunteers are an essential part of this organization and people are welcome—and encouraged—to get involved. “In 2022-2023 five volunteers retired from service and 14 new volunteers joined,” says Tevelde. “Volunteer recruitment remains an ongoing goal for us.”
This quote from one of their current volunteers says it all: “Time spent with my clients and seeing them smile or chuckle gives me pure joy and makes the experience most worthwhile!”
Services offered
- Bereavement Support Services:
- Adult Aged Child Loss Support
- Community Memorial Events
- Coffee and Care Group
- COPE Facility Dog Trooper
- Equine Bereavement Support (Youth and Adult)
- Overdose-Related Loss Support
- Peer Support Groups
- Peer One-on-One Support
- Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support (PILO NSM)
Visiting Hospice Services:
- Complementary Therapies
- Footprints Legacy Project
- Supportive Counselling
- Visiting Volunteer Services
Mark your calendar
Every year, Hospice Orillia hosts two memorial events: Garden of Remembrance, which takes place in June, and Candles of Remembrance, which takes place in December.
The 2023 Candles of Remembrance will take place on Thursday, November 30th at Creative Nomad Studios. It will be an evening of reflection, music and readings, a way for community members to come together to remember those who are no longer with us.
“Anyone from the community is able to access our services; we meet our clients where they are at by going to their home, wherever home may be, or in a private space in our office,” says Tevelde.
“If you are in need of grief and bereavement support, your loved one did not have to receive support from us prior to their death in order to access our programs; they are available for anyone.”
For more information, visit Hospice Orillia. You can also follow them on Facebook.
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