The Province has provided $129,000 for improved access to hospice palliative care in Grand Forks and Osoyoos/Oliver.

“It’s very important to patients and their families in rural areas to have access to care and support close to home,” said Boundary-Similkameen MLA Linda Larson. “This funding will help ensure that people don’t have to travel too far outside of their own community to receive service.” 

The BC Centre for Palliative Care distributed $90,000 to the Boundary Community Hospice Association in Grand Forks towards three newly-designated hospice beds at Hardy View Lodge. Target completion date is October 2017.     

Desert Valley Hospice Society in Osoyoos also received $30,000 for palliative day program spaces at the Supportive Care Centre as well as $9,000 in seed grant funding. The seed grant funding distribution was the result of a partnership between the BC Centre for Palliative Care and the BC Hospice Palliative Association.  

Examples of seed grant projects may include workshops educating the public about advance care planning; recruiting and training volunteers to link patients with serious illness and their families to local services; and public awareness campaigns about palliative care supports. 

The Ministry of Health and health authorities collaborated with the centre to determine how the funds would be allocated by studying B.C.’s palliative population data to assess characteristics such as age, underlying cause of death and geography. Current bed-to-population ratios and home-based palliative services were also looked at, as well as projections of future demand.

“Those nearing end of life and their loved ones deserve timely, well-co-ordinated, compassionate care as close to home as possible,” said Interior Health board chair John O’Fee.

“Our strategy includes specialized education for staff; dedicated resources in the form of a medical director and newly created nurse specialist roles; and the introduction of designated palliative beds, including those announced here.”

The BC Centre for Palliative Care was established in 2013 by the Institute for Health System Transformation and Sustainability to support palliative and end-of-life care practices based on evidence, education and innovation to improve and support care for those living with and dying from serious illness and their families.

Learn more:

For photos, visit: https://flic.kr/p/RwkHpP and: https://flic.kr/p/QeLmsC

To learn more about supports offered by the Province for end-of-life care, visit: www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/accessing-health-care/home-community-care/care-options-and-cost/end-of-life-care

To find out more about hospice palliative care in Interior Health, visit: https://www.interiorhealth.ca/YourCare/PalliativeCare/Pages/default.aspx

More information on the BC Centre for Palliative Care can be found at: www.bc-cpc.ca