The Wingham Advance-Times, 1989-06-06, Page 17„ .,;•
•;:
1--
••".1:
at
,
; .
PALLIATIVE CARE—Joan Wittig, front and centre, is coordinator of a palliative care committee
which is working to implement the service in the area served by Wingham and District Hospital.
Other members of the education committeeinclude: back, Pam Gordon, Ron Mellish, Rev. John
Vaudry; front, Linda Knight, Mrs. Wittig and Salli Lawton. Absent from the photograph are Sheila
Lancaster, Bill Woodley and Jean Young.
Palliative Carcsitpii:et ti
• the dying and their fatnilleg
By Lavonne N. Ballagh
In a dimly-lit room, all is sile
except for the uneven, labore
breathing coming from the pers
lying on the bed. Minute by minu
the breathing becomes harder an
the intervals between, longer. H
minutes are numbered now; it w
not be long.
Beside her, sharing this ove
whelmingly private moment, is
very special person, a volunteer,
palliative care worker. Through
the last monthrthese -two peopl
who began as strangers, hav
shared doubts, fears; angers, anx
eties, tears and pain as togethe
they have talked about death an
about life, prepared for death an
gone through all the stages o
acceptance. Outside the door, fami
ly members agonize and wait. Th
palliative care worker has bee
there to support them, too, and wil
be needed by them long after he
services in the small room ar
required, as they struggle throug
the grieving process and bereave
ment period.
NETWORK FOR DYING
Palliative care is a network o
support for the dying, their familie
and friends. For some time a ser
vice in place at several Wester
Ontario hospitals, it is soon to b
implemented in the area served b
the Wingham and District Hospital
Palliative care is the active, compas
sionate care of the terminally ill and
their families. It encompasses the
emotional, social, spiritual and
physical needs of the patient. Palli
ation is intended to facilitate the
effective, healthy use of the time
remaining to the dying and their
families. It, focuses on the quality,
rather than the quantity, of time.
Palliative Care Services work in
collaboration 'with.,Other tnelhbOrs
nt,
d
on
te
d
er
il
t
r -
a
a
ut
e,
e
r
d
e
n
1
e
h
f
s
n
e
y
to
d
ha
MohlAncoxo.attl, t44114000cl,to,conle.lb
of the health care team to facilita
the provisions. of holistic car
including care in bereavement. Th
service includes the ministry of t
community clergy, the hospit
chaplains, a volunteer coordinat
and a number of trained voluntee
in cooperation with the health ca
eam. The service is a communit
program in which volunteers wi
te forward and make a commitment,
e, perhaps a period of one year if their
e initial reaction is one of acceptance.
he The committee will provide train -
al ing for the volunteers and profes-
or sional health care providers.
rs Beginning in September, courses
re will be offered periodically and in -
y service seminars, films and speak -
11
work with assigned clients in the
client's home or in the hospital.
COMMUNITY WORKERS
Mrs. Joan Wittig of Wingham is
coordinator of Palliative Care Ser-
vices in Wingham and area. Among
her responsibilities are the oversee-
ing of all aspects of the services,
selection and training of volunteers,
assessing the needs of the clients
and assigning volunteers as
required, keeping reports, main-
taining communication with other
health care team members and
helping the bereaved's family
through the grieving process.
Rev. Douglas Whitelaw is chair-
man of the Palliative Care Commit-
tee which includes William Wood-
ley, Director of Patient Care at
Wingham and District Hospital and
representatives from the hospital
chaplaincy, Community Nursing
Services, Home Care, Town and
Country Homemakers, Canadian
Cancer Society and Community
Psychiatric Services. Specialists in
various areas,are consultants. The
service does not replace the
patient's own clergyman nor the
hospital chaplaincy, but is designed
to complement the work of the pas-
ral team in ministering to the
ying and their families.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The workers in Palliative Care
Services will be drawn from Wing -
et and surrounding community.
ers will be arranged to provide
ongoing training and meet current
needs. Volunteers will always have
a network of support behind them
and will be urged to discuss ques-
tions, fears and problems with the
coordinator and support staff.
The volunteer will establish a
supportive relationship with client
and family, intended to lessen fear
and isolation; respect the routine
establi&ed by the health care team
and relay messages between the
patient and his family and -or care
givers.
The volunteer must be flexible in
time, in order to just "be there" for
the patient and his family and must
be willing to support the family
through bereavement. As in all
such situations, absolute confiden-
tiality must be maintained.
FUNDING REQUIRED
The Palliative -Care Services com-
mittee has contacted many aree
organizations, service clubs and
churches and many donations have
already been received. It is hoped
that mote Money will be received
fromp6upsand individuals as the
need for this service is emphasized.
The committee is also investigating
sources of long-term funding to
provide funds on a continuing
basis.
Dying is a process requiring
assistance, companionship and sup-
port. Dying is an event that asks us
"What. have I gotten myseif
is is whet gamin Elston ..of
*kect• IWseAf sfter ,sh
stitetea as a page at the, 4;111,tario
1409144,0 tin” Spring.
Grade 7 -student at WiWkam
Public School, Carolyn-ftrW• 40 a
page from April 24 to May 26. In
spite of her early trepidation, she
soon came to enjoy her work it
Queen's Park, so much that She
would have stayed even longer
than her allotted five weeks.
The daughter of Wayne and
Lynda Elston of Wingham, CarOlp‘
always has enjoyed politics. Her
uncle, Murray Elston, is Ontario
management board chairman and a
fonder provincial health minister,
as well MPP for Bruce riding.
So it came as no surprise when
Carolyn announced that she want-
ed to serve as a page at the Legisla-
ture. Another Wingham •girl,
Kirsten Keil, was a page a few years
ago.
Only Grade 7 and 8 students are
eligible to serve as pages, explains
Carolyn. She applied the first day
of Grade 7 after getting the forms at
Jack Riddell's Wingham constituen-
cy office.
Pages also are required to have a
scholastic average of 80 per cent or
over and a letter of recommenda-
tion from their school principal.
Pages must provide their own
accommodation while in Toronto,
so Carolyn stayed with a cousin.
Once she was accepted as a page,
Carolyn went for a fitting for her
Taziferm and was roieto study up
on members of the Legislature —
names and faces. By the time she
went to Toronto, Carolyn says, she
could recognize most MPPs.
When she arrived in'late April,
all 24 pages met and were given a
Pages arrive
morning at 9:3O
- where, they. spg
desks with corr
deliver copies
Th
islative process.;
*Ss -
a lest
reneb.
class in the mornings re lunch,
By 1 p.m., they were in their uni.•
•
forms and ready for the day* busi- •
ness.
Carolyn -. she had a tUrn 0
-doing everything as aipagol-- front
worldjsg, on the, floor of the House
and -press gallery `to filling water
glasses.
During Carolyn's term as a page,
the lieutenant -governor delivered,
the Thfpne Speech and a new bud-
get waS' *Ought down. She says
she foundboth these occasions very
interesting and exciting.
Carolyn found her days quite
long andritectic, arriving home by 7
p.m. and 'dead" by eight O'clock:
There Were no evening sessions and
she attended school for two hours
every Monday and Wednesday.
She also had lunch one day with
Lieutenant -Governor Lincoln'
Alexander, another day witkSpeak-
er frItigh Edighoffer and another
day with Huron MPP Jack Riddell.
When it came time to go home,
Carolyn almost wished she could
stay, mainly because of the good
friends she had made. However,
she says, she's glad she wasn't
there last week when the divisional
bells tolled constantly.
Did her fivemeeks in :the Legisla-
ture cool her loVVOf politica? Not in
theleast in fact Carolhighly
recommendsthe page program to
any young person.
4Contintied° bii'P'1611
•
,„
SERVES AS LEGISLATIVE PAGE—Carolyn Elston of Wingham
recently mturned home afteros;;1,dit:gs,:elgri weeks as a page in the
dellAgo
onfario,e,gilatt,F.,c7•::lyn was "shown the ropes" by Jack Rid-
, er'• re•
i,e4 4##1,4 44.e,Ot,,/10.44,
.',.‘••4!1.6,111441•46i•lidi .1111,11%'••°11'1.1‘),