Heartland Hospice Seeks To Fund More Palliative Beds

On June 25th, 2013 Moose Jaw resident Arlene Kolosky passed away at the age of 69 years.

According to her obituary Arlene’s life was one of living her dreams. Whether it was studying to become and work at a library or the immaculate care of her yard.

In her final days Arlene had another dream for their to be a decent place for people to spend their last days with family and friends. A place to die in peace surrounded by their loved ones.

Although Arlene never saw it in 2014 her dream blossomed into what is today known as Heartland Hospice.

“It (Heartland Hospice) was the brain child of Arlene Kolosky. She was having her end of life journey and was fortunately able to pass away at home,” Sara Bryan, board member of Heartland Hospice said.

“She wanted to see a new place in Moose Jaw for people to pass away in,” Bryan said going on to explain after Kolosky’s passing friends, families and others came together in 2014 to form Heartland Hospice.

Bryan explained despite there being excellent palliative home care available in the city Heartland Hospice is still a necessity.

It was founded to not only give a person who is in their final stages of life a place to pass away in but an environment where relatives and friends can concentrate being with their loved one in a peaceful surrounding.

Before the single hospice bed became available at Pioneer Lodge there were two options for families and their loved ones when they are getting ready to depart this world - at home or in the hospital.

“We have a wonderful home care service in Moose Jaw, but it is (for some families) it is having somebody at home is a lot of work looking after them and then (trying to) spend time with them,” she said, adding a hospice offers the opportunity for people to spend time with their loved ones as the nurses provide the care.

“The second choice is the hospital and that is taking up beds.”

The single hospice room that Heartland Hospice helped organize and finance through fundraising offers another option. An option designed to give people the opportunity to spend the last days with a loved one in a better and peaceful atmosphere.

In 2018, working together with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), Heartland Hospice was able to get a single bed palliative care established at Pioneer Lodge.

Bryan spoke about her own mother’s passing and how she had been cared for at home but the full-time care became overwhelming as they tried to focus on spending the last days with her mother.

Her mother ended up in the hospital and passing away there.

Bryan said the entire subject of dying is something that many avoid discussing until it personally touches them and then they deal with the issue of a loved one passing away.

“It is an emotional topic,” she said.

“It is something we don’t understand until someone you love is going through it…as you get older you are more likely to get into it.”

To help families and their loved ones who are about to depart Heartland Hospice wants to increase the number of palliative beds available while at the same time giving those dying and loved ones a peaceful place to spend those times together.

Heartland Hospice would like to expand from a single bed - which is usually filled - to three beds, a sacred space, a family room as well as a place to go out and spend time with loved ones.

“We want to make it a peaceful time on being together,” she said about Heartland’s goals.

In order to see the dream of a larger and more peaceful place for people to spend their final days the group needs to fundraise for the necessary renovations.

Under their partnership Heartland will fund the three rooms and other additions and the SHA will provide the care.

So far the group has been the recipient of a major donation from the Moose Jaw Co-op. The Co-op donated the $13,030 proceeds of their recent “Fuel Good Day” to the group for their building plans but more is required to fund the project.

To find the funds Heartland Hospice is holding a 50/50 on-line raffle. The raffle can be accessed by clicking here. The last day to purchase tickets is November 30th.

For those who would like to contribute to the project directly they may do so by clicking here. As a registered charity all donations over $20 will receive a tax deductible receipt.

For more information and the contact details for Heartland Hospice you can do so through their web-site by clicking here.

At the present time the group has not finalized what the costs to establish and furnish the new beds but hope to have the amount finalized in January. If all goes well ideally within a year the project will be completed.