“A society is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable members.”

Knowing first hand the impact hospices have had in other provinces and in other countries, individuals in the Annapolis Valley, associated with people with terminal illnesses, knew it was time for a hospice in the Annapolis Valley.

The VON Annapolis Valley along with members of the Department of Sociology at Acadia University, and others in the county, decided to explore the possibility of establishing a hospice. A needs assessment and feasibility study were conducted. The overwhelming majority of respondents (87 percent), including healthcare professionals, patients and their families felt that there was a need for a hospice in the Annapolis Valley.

Making the most of Community Partners
In August 2000, the VON Annapolis Valley established the VON Kings Hospice Foundation, which later became the Valley Hospice Foundation (VHF), to develop and implement a plan for establishing a hospice in the Annapolis Valley.  In 2005, the Foundation and Annapolis Valley Health (AVH) came together to explore their common visions for end of life care in the district.  Recently the Hospice Foundation has joined forces with the Valley Regional Hospital Foundation to develop a joint fundraising effort that will address a variety of needs from conception to end of life.

When Care at Home Isn’t an Option
The focus of hospice palliative care is to provide care to the dying in their location of choice. The hospice will support those who are unable to or do not wish to die at home. It will help those who require short term admission to bring symptoms under control. Hospice as part of the community will ensure accessibility to holistic hospice palliative care services.

The hospice will be integrated into the programs of the Annapolis Valley Hospice Palliative Care Program. This will ensure seamless transition of patients moving from the community into the hospice and vice versa.

“People who are dying need their own things around them in a place where rules are relaxed and perhaps music can be played. They need someone who can take the time simply to be present, quietly caring and listening, and recognizing them as a unique and valued individual. They need the care of nurses and physicians who specialize in hospice palliative care - pain management and symptom control. They and those who are close to them need people around them who can help them manage the feelings they are having, not only about death and loss, but the difficulties experienced during the course of illness and treatment.”