Step by Step . . .by Agnes Emary

Many years ago I joined the Ladies Auxiliary to the New Denver – Silverton Legion. The members of the Visiting Committee took Christmas gifts to the residents of the New Denver Old Man's Home. An enlightening sight for Agnes!

The former T.B. Sanatorium had been altered for the accommodation of the Doukhobor ch i ld ren dur ing the disagreement and settlement between the Doukhobor parent's concerns and the government.

Later, the same facility was revamped and made ready for the government Boys Youth Centre. Next, alterations were made on the facility to become a Centre for Seniors Care. I was one of the volunteers who helped moved the residents from the Old Man's Home to the new larger, brighter and welcoming new home for the residents. Hurrah and Hurray!!

A few of the residents were local folk, so it was no hardship to go to the New Pavilion and help with entertainment, a cup of tea and a visit. They all had different lives in different parts of Canada and far away. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles were now residents from other areas who also have been volunteers and historians – rich in history.

To prove my thoughts, Mrs. Taylor, close to 100 years old and was formerly from Prince Edward Island, part of her life was spent in Moyie. While there she volunteered to play the organ for Sunday School. Resident Neil Tattrie and partner

Jim Greer were store owners and operators in Sandon. A Nakusp lady, who was from Sable Island Nova Scotia, celebrated her 100th birthday in our new Pavilion facility. She helped her father

with telegraphy, responded to ships at sea and sent the message by Morse code.

A n d t h e n t h e r e w a s q u i e t , unassuming, obliging Mr. Kiyono**. We party people helped him celebrate his 100th birthday.

The hospital board in their wisdom hired Sue Davies as Recreational Director. Sue organized some residents

to from an association and grants were applied for from the New Horizon Program. When the board could move the Youth Centre's former Workshop over to the Pavilion area it was equipped for resident's use, especially for wheel chair specication.

The local Hospital Auxiliary was asked to survey the area regarding the need for a Palliative room. Sue, staff and an anonymous donor, who was already active in hospice activities, were keen to have a designated Palliative room in the Pavilion facility. As a result Sue again applied to New Horizon's** and was successful. This grant led to the formation of a Hospice Board of local citizens and the New Denver Hospice Society was established in May 1991.

The reason for this epistle was “Why I wanted to help start a Hospice Society?”. I feel that we all have feelings and concerns for everyone. Remember the Golden Rule. I can't go back much further than my parents who were homesteaders in the “Dirty Thirties” raising four children. My mother had helped nurse in the great u epidemic (1918 – 19) and had much experience caring for others. Immune from the cause!

Homesteaders looked out for one another. The house parties, the hungry roamer, a bed for the not so fortunate, help for the sick and dying and help for the family to take to the cemetery.

Do you suppose the concern for others is part of me, by transmission or osmosis or in the genes or can be learned!

Moving day at the Pavilion – March 16, 1976.

New Denver Hospice Society

V O L U M E I v v I S S U E I A U G U S T 1 2 , 2 0 1 3

communities. Your donation provides direct care for individuals and families today, as well as helps us meet the need of end of life and bereavement care for tomorrow. Please consider making a donation to the New Denver Hospice Society. There are a variety of ways to make a donation:

Send a check to New Denver Hospice SocietyDonate through Canada Helps or Pay Pal on our website www.newdenverhospice.ca

Select New Denver Hospice as your preferred charity through the “Change it” program offered through Kootenay Savings Credit Union

Consider New Denver Hospice as part of your legacySupport us at our fundraising eventsDonations by friends and family can be made to New Denver Hospice Society in memory of a loved one in lieu of owers or a gift

WE PROVIDE TAX RECEIPTS FORDONATIONS OF $25.00 OR MORE.

Co-ordinator’s notes This is my rst full year as the

coordinator for New Denver Hospice Society. I am grateful to the board and the volunteers for helping me learn my role and align myself with the essence of what Hospice is. I am always in awe of the sincerity, compassion and generosity that the people within in this society demonstrate on a regular basis. This year we served 17 families within our area, which includes New Denver, Silverton, Red Mountain, Enterprise Creek and Hills.

A focus for the year has been to enhance and nurture the infrastructure of the society. We updated our brochure, published a logo, revived our membership, established a webpage, redecorated and refurbished the palliative room, and entered a Welcome Book to help people orient and make full use of the room. Our webpage (www.newdenverhospice.ca) provides information on our services and provides a resource for information on end of life issues.

Networking with Kaslo, Nakusp, Nelson and other hospices in the west

Page 2 New Denver Hospice Society Volume 1, Issue 1 August 12, 2013v v

Kootenay area through regional meetings has been nourishing and benecial. The Kalein Hospice Centre located in Nelson opened it's doors this year.

We've increased our visibility and availability for people to access serv ices and make donations. The community support during our fundraising events is very noticeable and appreciated. The New Denver Hospice Society gives many thanks to the communities for on going support. Donations allow us to provide support to families during an extremely important time.

This year we provided seminars to the communities on Advance Care Planning and Bereavement which were both well attended. We plan to offer at least 2 seminars per year on end of life issues. We were able to provide training to our volunteers on bereavement, palliative massage, proper lifting techniques and the volunteer training program.

We were fortunate to receive a couple of grants from BCHPCA (British Columbia Hospice Palliative Care Association) for

volunteer training and Columbia Basin Trust that funded many of the projects listed above.

We have a Bereavement Journal Program scheduled in the fall for people experiencing grief. Come and see us at our booth at the Garlic Festival where we offer coffee and mufns/cookies, all home baked by the ne bakers of our communities.

The board and I have some great ideas for the year which we will keep you informed of.

The New Denver Hospice Society is a community based program dedicated to prov id ing support and compassionate care to terminally ill patients, their family and friends. Volunteer Support to palliative patients and families includes:

Compassionate care for the ill person, time out for caregivers and information on resources and local services.

Grief supportSupport with Advance Care Planning and funeral arrangements

Seminars on end of life issuesBereavement GroupsLibrary books, DVD’s and videos available at the Hospice ofce

WebpageHOW CAN YOU HELP?

New Denver Hospice Society is reliant for a large percentage of our funding on the generosity of our

For your information . . .

TANYA THOMPSON

In November of 2012, New Denver Hospice Society hosted an Advance Care Planning Seminar presented by Kay Costley-White and Mike Sweeney. Funding for the program came from a CBT grant. The seminar was well attended by newcomers as well as people who came for a repeat. Kay guided people through an Advance Care Plan, and why it is so important to have a living will. One of my favorite sayings I've heard from Kay is “Prepare for Death, Plan for Life”.

Mike Sweeney is a local lawyer. He talked about recent BC legislation which makes it no longer necessary to have a lawyer certify Advance Care Plans. Mike also talked about the legal implications related to medical interventions, possible nancial issues if you don't have an Advance Care Plan, and things to be aware of with a living will. There were many people who had questions for Mike related to legal wills and it gave us food for thought that a seminar on legal wills could be benecial for our communities.

This fall the Hospice Society of North Kootenay Lake in Kaslo will be hosting the Advance Care Plan seminar with Kay and Mike. For more information on date and place contact Chelsea Van Koughnett at 250 353 2299 or hospice@kaslo.org.

DEB BENNETT SEMINARIn April 2013, New Denver Hospice

Society hosted a seminar on Anticipatory Grief titled “When Someone you Care for is Dying” presented by Deb Bennett. This seminar was also funded through CBT. Deb presented on the stages of grief and the different perspectives people can have about grief, both positive and negative. Deb talked about the impact a death in a family can have on a family system, and possible challenges that arise. She gave information on activities and things a person can do to support their grief process, and how to help a person who is grieving. Deb also

Page 3New Denver Hospice Society Volume 1, Issue 1 August 12, 2013v v

Highlights of the Year– 2012/2013 –

Kay Costley-White and Mike Sweeney.

ADVANCE CARE PLANNING

SEMINAR

provided a training on “family grief” to the Hospice volunteers from New Denver, Nakusp and Kaslo.

PALLIATIVE ROOMOur Palliative room in the

Pavilion has been refurbished and redecorated this year. The room was painted, new curtains and matching cushions were added. We had a donation from a client that provided fold-out tables to make it easier for patients or family/friends to sit and eat or do some writing on.

We bought fold-out chairs to make it easier to sit by the bed and a fridge is included in the room to access special food requests.

A “Welcome Book” helps orient people to the room and its amenities and provides suggestions and information to

support families in their process.

A l l o f t h e s e a d d i t i o n s a n d improvements were made possible through the donations we received through community fundraising.

Thank you!

It is only by going down into the abyss

that we recover the treasures of life.

Where we stumble

there lies your treasure.

The very cave you are afraid to enter

turns out to be the source of

what you were looking for.

– Joseph Campbell Companion:

“Reections on the Art of Living”–

by Joseph Campbell–

Page 4 New Denver Hospice Society Volume 1, Issue 1 August 12, 2013v v

Upcoming Events . . .

Our booth selling coffee and locally baked goods at the Hills Garlic Festival is one of our main fundraising events. This year along with our exceptional home baked goods we are serving Oso Negro organic coffee, both caffeinated and decaffeinated. We will also have tea, hot chocolate and the San Pellegrino soft drinks. Come see us at our booth.

HILLS GARLIC FESTIVAL

September 8, 2013

Centennial Park • New Denver

BEREAVEMENT JOURNAL PROGRAM

– BOOK REVIEW –Tuesdays with Morrie

. . . an old man, a young man and

life’s greatest lesson

by MITCH ALBOM

Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.

For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.

Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder. Wouldn’t you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger?

Mitch Albom had that second chance.

He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man’s life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one nal “class” – lessons in how to live.

Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie’s lasting gift with the world.

After four years on the New York Times bestseller list, Tuesdays with Morrie is at last available in paperback.

I read this book while taking the Hospice Training Course and found it very informative and up-lifting.

The book starts with the author's graduation from University, his nal good-bye to his favourite professor, Morrie Schwartz and his promise to stay in touch with him. Sixteen years later, Mitch happens to see, by chance, a

– Bay Herrmann, Hospice Volunteer

television program featuring his former professor who is living with Lou Gerig's disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a debilitating and ultimately ftal disease.

Mitch goes to see him and starts the weekly visits on Tuesdays, his last class with Morrie. Each 'class' is a discussion of life, the world around them, the meaning of life and the biggest question of all, Death.

I would recommend this book to anyone. to quote Amy Tan, author or The Joy Luck Club "this is a true story that shines and leaves you forever warmed by its afterglow"

New Denver Hospice has a lending

library available for the public that

includes books, videos and DVD’s

on end of life issues. To access the

library contact our ofce

at (250) 358-7828.

September 26 - November 14

Thursdays • 10:00 - 12:30 p.m.New Denver Hospice through a grant from CBT will be

offering an 8 week Bereavement Journal Program. This program is based on the program developed by Susan Breiddal for the Victoria Hospice Society. The program will be facilitated by Sue Mistretta, MA in counseling psychology and Tanya Thompson, BSW. This program is available for adults

who are currently experiencing a loss past or present; either a physical death or a separation, This program will use the mediums of writing (journaling), art and other creative processes to witness grief. No previous writing or art skills are needed. Program cost: Members $35.00; Non members $50.00. All materials provided.

Tel. (250) 358-7828 v newdenverhospice@yahoo.ca v www.newdenverhospice.ca– CONTACT US AT –