When people think of hospice they think of end of life.
In fact, it’s quite the opposite and we would like that perception to change. It is very much about living.
The Shuswap Hospice Society offers all our services free of charge to the community. Some of the many services include caregiver support, bereavement group and private counselling which can be costly.
A very important service we offer are companion visits. These are all done by hospice volunteers and they are matched with seniors that desire human connections which may be lacking in their lives.
One great example is Bob. He called hospice and enquired about a possible match with a companion visitor. Bob lives somewhat independently and tries to keep himself busy, but finds making new connections difficult.
He gets a visit once a week and these visits can include everything from a drink and chat at Starbucks, having a beer at the casino or just chatting about current events and having a laugh or two.
It is so important to keep connected to people and to the community, especially for seniors as aging can be very isolating. That’s why hospice is holding a fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 17 called The Grand Parade. This is our second year holding the event but hope to drum up enough support to make this an annual event. You basically form teams, get pledges and walk. Its a very nice way to spend a Saturday morning and benefit a great cause.
Hospice exists because of generous donations from our great community so we’re hoping to get an exceptional turnout for this event. To register, and for more information, visit thegrandparade.org.
People can also support Shuswap Hospice by casting votes for participants in this year’s Dancing with the Shuswap Stars, which takes place on Friday, Nov. 18. For more info, visit shuswapstars.ca.
Submitted by the Shuswap Hospice Society
newsroom@saobserver.net
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