The Sherwood, one of Virden’s personal care homes has just opened a special room where family visits can take place over a cup of tea, or where hospice care givers can stay for the day, or overnight.
Chair of Virden Palliative Care, Barb Heaman explained, “This room is for people who have family in here and they want to stay overnight, or, (since the rooms in the Sherwood are quite small) if they want to bring their family down here to visit, have coffee and whatever.”
For those supporting a resident in hospice care, at the end of life, someone needing day and night support, this new suite in the Sherwood is a Godsend. It is bright, cheerful, with a leather couch/hide-a-bed, table, sink and toilet – equipped for overnight guests.
The room has been on the wish list for a number of years, so with great satisfaction, the palliative care committee celebrated the opening on Jun. 21, at the Sherwood. Residents and family members had a tour of the newly furnished, decorated room.
Heaman said, “The room has been furnished with the very generous donations of families and friends in memory of loved ones.”
A member of the committee, Lorna Klassen was the artistic designer. The vocal point and inspiration for the room is the feature wall with a warmly encouraging inscription and decorative wall art.
Joe Carème of Home Hardware donated electrical appliances, dishes and utensils for the suite. Generous donations from Virden Lions Club helped bring the room in the Sherwood to this opening day.
Care Team manager Ken Oberlin is also pleased with the new suite in the 45-bed facility, and said, “I was glad that we had opportunity to find room.”
Now with three centres – Virden hospital, West-Man Personal Care Home and Sherwood Care Home - all equipped with palliative care family rooms, Virden and Area Palliative Care is setting their sights on helping Elkwood Manor in Elkhorn next.
Oberlin said, “I am now working with the committee to see if we can find a space in the Manor to use.”
Help in time of need
Some count it a privilege to provide volunteer visiting service. The palliative care committee provides respite for family members who are sitting with loved ones. “If they want to go out for supper,” explains Heaman, a palliative care sitter will come and relieve them.
“We work with the family, whatever their need is, sometimes we sit all night, part of the night or an hour or two here or there,” explained Paul Eilers, also on the committee .
Some people don’t have family to sit with them, or sometimes those providing hospice care “get played-out”, Heaman said.
This was a busy spring for Palliative Care. “We just went through the month of May...we were up to four palliative patients for a while this spring,” said Eilers.
Palliative Care serves the entire area including Elkhorn and occasionally Oak Lake as well, although most of the call is for help within Virden.
Heaman said, “We don’t too often sit in homes, but we would.”
There is always a need for volunteers, say the committee members. A short course is offered twice per year, a must for volunteers who want to take an active part in palliative care.
For residents of Sherwood or West-man, it’s like dying at home, but with nurses to give care as well.
Extended stay palliative care-givers will use the Palliative Care Family Room. There’s no charge for those who need to stay at the new room, thanks to donations from families, service clubs and charity foundations.
Virden and Area Palliative Care members are all volunteers and there’s no charge for the caring service they provide.
