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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1985-04-03, Page 47• ..-.OY rO1P» K31-'Arr �".. r.. 'Steppic onto the elevator`Yell-hear the whirr of the ines and feel heavy as you rrlove upward A sudden thud and you have, reached yoltlt."d4 tion The sme' a�� f the air as you read the slier; 'tom floor'. Yo'u maneuver along.. the hallway and around the corder and, infront i you reads long term disaltledor earlatrieWerd. 1%ae next,corner you find fifteen peo a' si K � w eel chairs. Many have' bags- with t110000Aning into their sides. A few have intravenous bottles dangling from above then' . heads. her see to • be at peace, 'withilheir attention directed to a stout women WOMPWItt the center of the room. The women in ting their movements and smiling at them aa they try to obey her com- mands. - • In their younger or healthier years they would have been able to throw the ball through the hoop or touch their shoulders with their hands, But now they sit and watch time pass trying to prolong their eventual fate for as long as they can. They are surrounded by colorful posters and paintings that depict better days and hope for the future. The nurses and hospital staff work hand in hand with Palliative Care volunteers to help improve the quality of remaining life for the people of the third floor. The palliative care service helps anyone terminally ill or bed -ridden put their affairs in order and get ready to meet fate. Mr. Wong was dying. When he got too sick to work, he sold his store and started to put his affairs in order for his wife who spoke no english and his two young children. Michel, a •palliative care worker, had several meetings with Mr. and Mrs. Wong. After a worried phone call in which Mr. Wong said that certain important items were missing from the sale document. Michel went with Mr. and Mrs. Wong to their lawyer and subsequently several times to City Hall, and finally worked out a solu- tion to the -problem Michel derived tremendous personal satisfaction and was able to help Mrs. Wong. • face the future with a sense of security, after her husband's death. Another example is of Marguerite, a retired social worker, who through the Con- sultation service, visited a patient and her husband,„ both German Jews in their -70's, who had lived through concentration camp experiences. Marguerite also had been in Europe during the war, and established common ground with the couple through sharing wartime experiences. Marguerite helped the wife understand why' tt was ianporrtent for her: husbannd to, mono ae workiang..'After the death of I . wife, the husband° thanked the voluntsni',7 saying"because of your help,, J at least have. nn . Jotg hold onto." pie above casehistorieswere, taken frotf _ a palliative care manual that is and in the training of new volunteers. For three years there has bee a palliative care program at the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital. However the service is in danger of folding if a volunteer co-ordinator is not found. Many people in the community don not know what the service stands -for. However these who have used the service are grateful for the,help they have received. Palliative Care refers to programs or ser- vices that provided care to those patients for whom treatment aimed at cure is no longer possible. But for whom treatment aimed at improving the quality of remaining life is the primary object. The service offers efficient loving care by a multidisciplinary team of medical, non- medical and volunteer care givers. They work closely together to respond to the needs of the patient and the family. The needs of the dying are frequently overlooked once all of the medical avenues have been tried. The emergence of Palliative units across North America in recent years in- dicates a need ,for this specialized type of care giving. The field of "•thafitology (study of death and dying) is rapidly grim- ing to better understand the needs of the dy- ing person and the family. b d hi t 0 A visit to the chronic care ward at the Alexandra Marine and General hospital is evidence enough,as to why a palliative care service needs to be maintained in Goderich. The patients seen here are taking part in a series of exercises that they take part in every Tuesday morn- ing. Several of the patients are unable to move by themselves and they need help. The Palliative Care volunteers work along side of the trained professionals to try and make the quality of remaining life better( Photo by Todd Mowatt) he fea medicalcaresupport, are to.keep the Marguerite recognized that it was impor- terminally ill patient t home as long s tant for him to hold his job, for there was no Possible; to supplement and not duplicate family, no children, and few friends or in- the existing services; t support the family terests that would' keep him away from her as theunit of care; to h 1p the terminally ill bedside. patient to as fully as possible(focus on mak- BOYS 13 and 14 years old 'INTERESTED IN PLAYING Fora TRAVELLING PEE WEE SOFTBALL TEAM Please contact RAY HURD at 524-7883 after 6:00 pm J '4KE UPy�JPr (AiY SWITCH TO A WINNER! t%TED UNITED ACCUMULATIVE FUND TOP PERFORMER FOR ONE YEAR OF ALL CANADIAN INVESTMENT rUNDS!! 14.8% AN INTERNATIONAL GROWTH FUND WITH 75% OF ITS ASSETS IN U.S. COMMON STOCKS. INVESTIGATE W YS TO "WAKE UP YOUR LAZY MONEY INVESTING IN THE UNITED GROUP OF FUNDS. RK,AL PIANNE.RS LTD itCHAVILLIAM ST. SUITE 101 LONDON, ONT. NMI 301 436-9171 Dennis J. Little 53 WEST ST.. G0DFSICH 524-2773, .0:3000.10 ing the most of the last days of living); to keep costs down. The Goderich service has 15 dedicated volunteers and a coordinator who donates 40 hours a week to the palliative care cause. The volunteer plays an integral part in, the program and without these people there would not be a palliative care program. These people are well-trained and it takes a special kind of dedication and caring to make it through the program. When the volunteer has finished the training, there is a second screen(, g process that takes place 'to :Make thh vohrnt r feeLitliiot'd coriffor- tabie. ' ' • .� :.L The volunteer in palliative care has a primary goal, tine establishment of a rela- tionship of friendship with the patient. In a way, not having professional goals gives, the volunteer a certain freedom within which to visit and to share in the struggle for •meaning,.that is the inevitable part of the context of serious illness. The goal in meeting the terminally ill, is to meet him where he or she is and not where we think they should be. The essence of good palliative care is at- tention to detail, a comprehensive review of symptom control and attention to all the in- dividual needs. That implies a great deal of time spent in getting to know patients and . families and In meeting the multitude of small needs. No, professional team will ever ` have the time to do this adequately, and suc- ces will come only as professionals and volunteers work together. -Volunteers come from every walk of life, and bring an amaz- ing array of gifts and skills which can com- pliment the core professional"team" said Ina Ajemian in the R.V.H. Manual on Palliative and Hospice care. . For those of you who knew little or nothing about Palliative Care, the bottom line is that the service is needed, especially in Huron county. .opulation trends in Huroi} c9unty-show that it's. population is aged compared to the Ontario standard. Huron county has a higher percentage of retired people, 12.60 . percent of the population are 65 and over compared to the overall average of 9.25 per- cent. There are five small hospitals in Huron county with a catchment population of approximately 75,000. Only the Alexandra Marine and General hospital has a formal palliative care service. All of the five hospitals have formal Pastoral care ser- vices and the Kincardine hospital's pro- gram is in the process of being formed. The ratio of population to doctors and nurses in Huron county is much higher than that of Ontario's rate. Each- doctor in the county carries twice the work load of other Ontario doctors. This is even further exaggerated with the added populration in the catchment areas of the hospitals. The above data shows that the hospital staff, that though they do their best to help the patient as best they can. There is still a need for a palliative care sot -Vice in the com- munity. • However the palliative care service in Goderich is in a state of suspended budget animation. The hospital board is awaiting the provincial budget commitment ` to see how much money they will be receiving to operate the hospital this year. So they are unwilling to comment on what they are go- ing to do about the'servicebuitil they bee how much money they will haven workwith. The deadline to find a new coordinator has passed and Connie Osborn has, not had a response from the board as to what direc- tion she should take. If the board is short of money and a volunteer coordinator is not found this valuable service may die or alternative ar- rangements may have to 'be made with some other group outside of the hospital. But even for this to occur the hospital board must approve. This service has helped people for three years and now -the service is in trouble and it needs the support of the community. If you wish to volunteer or voice your suggestion, phone Connie Osborn at 524-8323 ext. 223 or at home 524-7184. RE -elect ELSTON A LIBERAL VOTE IN HURON -BRUCE IS A VOTE FOR.... EXPERIENCE d [ EXPERIENCE ENTHUSIASM l.t' ENERGY EMPLOYMENT re ENVIRONMENT 4 years as your member at Queens Park in Toronto. Chairman of the all important Public Accounts Committee of the Ontario be -Os -la -titre= Liberal Party Critic for Commercial Relations and ' --� the Attorney General's 0!Tic e Past Liberal Party Critic for the Environment Ministry. Liberal Party Delegate from Ontario to the Calla Li Commonwealth Parlia- mentary Association Conference. In the four years, Elston has established himself as a hard and dedicated worker for his riding. Prior to his election, Elston was a partner in the Wingham Law Firm of Crawford, Mill, Davies, and Elston. Murray graduated from the University of Western Ontario Law School in 1975 and from the F.E. Madill Secondary School in W inkham. you NEED Murray Elston in Huron Bruce • - FIRST ON THE BALLOT, FIRST IN SERVICE TO HIS CONSTITUENTS For election information or to volunteer as a worker in the Murray Elston Campaign please call: WINGHAM -357-1964 KINCARDINE -396-4453 PORT ELGIN -389-4224 357-3228 389-4242 Sponsored by The Provincial Huron -Bruce Liberal Association -Vern Inglis --Official Agent