HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1989-02-22, Page 22Page 22
Times -Advocate, February 22, 1989
VON palliative care program
• By Ralph Pearce
LUCAN It has to be the saddest,
most heart -wrenching ordeal in any-
one's life. Caring for a terminally
ill relative creates a strain that's of-
ten unbearable. Whether it's your
wife or husband, father or mother -
cvon one of your children, it's a no
\+ in situation. At the best of times, -
it can be a difficult exercise in futil-
ity. When. it's at its worst, it's
nothing short of a living hell.
But there may be an answer. .
• Due to the efforts of Mrs. Jackie
Wells, there may soon bean organ-
ization for Middlesex County's rural
population.. Operating under the di-
rection of the Victorian Order of
Nurses, Wells is attempting to
create what would be known as the
Palliative Care Volunteer Pro-
gramme (PCVP), with a special
emphasis on northern Middlesex
County.•Bcing a native 'of the re-
gion as well as a district nurse for
the VON over the past seven years,.
Wells has -seen the need for a pallia=
tive care system grow. larger..
The need has come into focus as a
result of more and more people
wanting to die:in the -.comfort of
their own -homes.- The problem
which arises from: this is that the
people who have returned home to
die require special attention; atten=
tion which can't always be provided
by friends and relatives, through no
fault of their -own. .
While true that the Ministry
of Health can provide Home Care -
a nurse, homemaker or other profes-
sional may be available for a sped -
tied time - a patient who's terminal-
ly ill; as well as his/her family,
need more than that. And that is
Wells' primary goal.
The Palliative. Care Volunteer
Programme is still in its iiirant
stage. Wells has been assigned the
task of establishing the programme
she can do all she wants to orga-
nize it - she just can't implement it.
She can gather commitments for
volunteers and commitments for do-
nations. However, she can't collect
any money and shc can't do any-
thing to actually start the pro --
gramme.
So the waiting game continues.
It's frustrating to say the least -
and even more so because of the
lack of understanding on. the part of
area residents.
"A lot of people assume that the
government will pay for it," Wells
=rcaates_nWelLthe govern men
and it doesn't."
She and her colleagues at the
VON have applied to the Ministry
of Community and Social Services
but have been denied access to•
fut,ding on the grounds that the
proposed programme is too 'health'
•- oriented to"be eligible for consid-
eration and should therefore be ap-
plied to the Ministry of Health.
The problem is, without funding,
it's hard to communicate the
group's goals to the communities
in the region.
Wells wants to elicit a strong
sense. of community support and
unless hcr cause is made aware to
the general public, she says,
"Nothing is going to happen".
The idea for the PCVP came
from a pilot project in Chatham.
In all respects, the Chatham unit is
a success, from its high public
profile to is yearly operating bud-
get of over $79,000 for 188 - and
all of it raised within thecommu-
nity.
Wells is overjoyed to think of
the potential as seen in thc Chat-
ham area, but at the same time
feels cheated by the proximity of
London, rapidly becoming one of
the world's better known health
care centres. It's a case of 'oh so
near and yet so far.'
"Everything is just. a stone's
throw away, but you can never get
it," she says. "And it's very frus-
trating."
rus
trat ng."
Wells reasons that rural commu-
pity people have little or nothing
in the way of health services or
special interest groups.
They're isolated - both geographi-
cally and socially. And she wants
to change that. Her goal, in a broad
sense, is to give country residents
the the same benefits, the same
health care advantages as city'
dwellers have with the hospitals
and various health services. And
Wells believes she'll do that with
the PCVP. •
Without the implementation of
the programme, friends and rela-
tives of terminally. ill patients can
go through a tremendous strain,
once the patient returns home. Not
only must they care for their fami-
ly member, they must also carry
on with their own lives - their jobs
and 'day to day routines. In time,
the strain of leading a double life
combined with the torture of los-
ing someone close and realizing
that there's nothing t� be done, be-
comes too much. 'A person beings
to burn out.
With the .implementation of the
PCVP, however, Wells states that
family members would have some-
one to care for their loved ones,
giving them a chance to go to
work, to get a good night's sleep,.
to do some personal shopping or to
just .spend .a few moments by them-
selves. For thcir part, volunteers.
could also do the grocery shopping
for a family, write letters, cook a
meal or two - or just be there to
hold someone's hand. Part of the
programme's proposal even in-
cludes slaying with the family after
t can
t
thc alien[ dies and through the be-
reavement period
"It's an effective service which,
according to the American Journal
of Nursing (August 1980), con-
cludes "that terminally ill patients
cared for in their homes experienced
more dignity and comfort and their
families had less difficulty adjust-
ing to the impending death than pa-
tients cared for in a hospital."
It's a similar situation that over-
whelmed Wells a few years ago. As
a district nurse, she cared fora ter-
minally ill patient whose neigh-
bours continually asked for ways to
help, not only him, but his wife as
well. With Well's help, the neigh-
bours co-ordinated their visits.
"And do you know that for his
last week of life, that women (his
wife) was never alone?" she relates.
The programme promises to be
vital, not only for the personbut
for the community as well - an-
swering the need to help; iiie need
to feel needed.
Wells is currently looking for
help from Lucan, Ailsa Craig,
Parkhill, Ilderton and Strathroy and
is canvassing the various commu-
nity organizations and service clubs
for donation commitments. And it's
a lot of work.
"I believe it will go, but I have
to have the support from the com-
-munity," she states.
And if Jackie Wells does get that
help, she'll be able to provide a
little relief to a very sad and diffi-
cult phase of life.
Junior Farmers raise
funds for guide dogs
CLINTON - The Annual Provin-
cial Junior Farmer Conference and
Banquet, 'The Challenge is Mine in
'89', will be held March 17 to 19 at
the Skyline Hotel Toronto. Junior
Farmers from all over the province
will be attending putting in motion
their motto 'Self Help and Com-
munity Betterment'.
•
Forseveral weeks prior to the
Conference Junior Farmer Clubs
across the province will be raising
funds for this year's Provincial
Fund Raiser, Canadian Guide Dogs
for the Blind.
Canadian Guide Dogs for the
Blind provides the visually im-
paired with the freedom of mobility
that many of us take for granted.
Using a Guide Dog for travel helps
blind people to lead full and inde-
pendent lives since it enables them
to travel independently an safely.
- In 1988 members of the Junior
Farmers' Association of Ontario
raised . close to $25,000 for the
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and
in 1987 donated over $16,000 to
the -Children's Wish Foundation.
It is hoped that together we will
be able to provide a blind person
with a Guide Dog. Help the Junior
Farmers meet 'The Challenge' and
fullfil their motto 'Self Help and
Community Betterment'.
For more information contact
Anne Alton, Huron County Provin-
cial Director, Wingham, 357-1451
Robert Hunking, President, RR1
Auburn, 31-6-.--
Centralia
1
Centralia
by Mrs. Tom Kooy
CENTRALIA - At the 'gathering
at Heywoods on Monday, February
13, there were 10 tables playing
euchre with prizes gong to high
score Ilene Mothers, Toe Carter;
lone hands, Rhea Bcatson, Murray
Carter; low score, Doris Ashworth,
Adrian de Brouwer.
The next party will be on Febru-
ary 27 at 2:30 p.m.
At the euchre at Neil's school-
house prizes went to: high score
Mary Kooy, Otto Darling; lone
hands, Helen` Macdonald, Andy
Thompson; low score, Kay Arm-
strong, Dorothy. Darling playing a
man's card.
Next euchre is February 27 at 8
p.m. convened by Jack and Ann
Gilmour.-
On
ilmour.-On Sunday at the United Church,
Rev. Carter took hcr text from 'Fen.
15:12 "Surrendering to Life"
The noon hour lenten service this
week will be held at Exeter United
Church on Wednesday at 12:05'4)1 -
lowed by lunch. Next gathering for
new womcns group will meet at 8
p.m. at Judy Mills'.
Clandeboye
CLANDEBOYE - St. James
Church held thcir Valentine euchre
Party on February 14: Tickets were
sold on a decorated valentine cake,
made and donated by Viola Carter,
and won by Charlotte Barker.
Euchre prizes went to high score -
Hcicn McDonald, Harry Noels, lone
hands Kay Lanknr-a
Youth Centre Donation - .Cana.dlan Imperial Bank of Commerce Cunningham, low scores -Jean
manager Ken Agnew' is shown presenting a cheque •for $1,150 to
Hodgins and Pat Davis. -------r
the new L Ione Y .f,, Canfr to rh,h n .esident_Rnay [hers _•
The next party will be February
Grants awarded
TORONTO - Grants totalling
$159,183 have been awarded to 16
companies undes.tbe.Ontario Small
Food -Processors' -Assistance Pro-
gram' Agriculture and Food Minis-
ter Jack Riddell announced recent-
lyTo qualify, company projects
must expand or upgrade process-
ing capacity or adopt new technol- •
ogics to process food or food ingre-
dients 44-0 tacioar---Each..p
must have a capital cost of less
than $250,000.
Eight processors receiyed grants
from capital purchases. They arc:
Becton Meats, Becton : $15,394;
Tasty Nu Bakery, Zurich:
$16,120; McLachlan Bros., Ko-
moka: S9,833; Step One Organ-
ics, Vanklcek Hill: $10,447;
Countryside Canners Co. Ltd.,
Stoney Point: $14,667; Rowe
Farm Meats, Guelph: $9,933; Ja-
maican Patty, Scarborough:
$34,658 and Paul's Poultry Prod-
ucts (1987) Ltd., Burlington:
$29,144.
1
28.
Gets special award - Dave Beaver, service manager at HuronTractor receives a special award for the'.
Idea of the Month newsletter from John Deere service rep Wayne 'Marek and division credit manager
Gary 'Zielke. At the left is Herb Verbeek.
Education meetings
on beef vote
CLINTON' Beef cattle producers
who want detailed information on.
the upcoming vote on beef cattle
marketing, can attend education
meetings scheduled forgthis arca.
In Exeter the meeting is March
31 at the Exeter Legion Hall at
8:00 p.m.
There will be a debate bertwecn
representatives from the Ontario
Cattlemen's Association and the
Beef Producers for Change Inc. The
debate will be moderated by repre-
sentatives from the Ontario Mini-
stry of Agriculture and Food. Pro-
ducers will have an opportunity to
ask questions at the meetings.
The mail -in vote, scheduled for
April 14, 1989, will ask eligible
beef producers to decide the future
of the marketing system for their
industry. The vote follows the one
of the recommendations made by
the 1988 Ontario Beef Marketing
Task Force.
About 40 information meetings
are scheduled across Ontario in late
March and early April.
CO.OP
Exeter
District Co-op
CLOSED
for
INVENTORY
Wednesday, March 1
We are sorry for any inconvenience this may
cause our customers
EXETER DISTRICT CO-OP
Exeter 235-2081 Ailsa Craig 293-3282
Division of
Parrish & Heimbecker, Limited
PRODUCER MEETING & CROP PLANNING SEMINAR
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1989 11 A.M.
SOUTH HURON RECREATION CENTRE, EXETER
*************************
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1989 11 A.M.
BRUSSELS COMMUNITY CENTRE, BRUSSELS
**********************
THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1989 11 A.M.
ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION - BRANCH 309 - LUCKNOW
Inorderto properly arrange for lunch accommodation, please contact your
nearest Cook's Branch to advise which meeting you plan to attend. Confirma-
tion would be appreciated by February 20th -:Exeter; February 21st - Brussels
and February 22nd - Lucknow.
Where you can trade
with confidence"
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