Residential hospice one step closer for Greater Moncton

A 10-bed residential hospice facility is one step closer to reality for the Greater Moncton area, says ​Tradina Meadowns-Forgeron.

The executive director of Hospice Greater Moncton said it's a dream that's been 14 years in the making.

"This is an opportunity for people to have a better quality of life towards their end of life journey," Meadows-Forgeron said.

The Humphrey Lewisville Sunny Brae Lions Club has donated 2.2 hectares in the Lewisville area.

The province has committed funding for a clinical care team.

Funding in current budget

Finance Minister Cathy Rogers said more than $1.08 million will be spent over two years toward the hiring of an on-site licensed practical nurse and personal support workers who will be supported by an extramural interdisciplinary team.

Rogers said the funding is included in the current budget.

The plan is to build a 10-bed facility, which is expected to cost $4.5 million.

Meadows-Forgeron said the hospice will provide a more home-like atmosphere for people at the end of their lives.

"Our clients will be able to have their own room, the families will have a room as well so with this ten bed facility, they'll have their own cafeteria they'll have their own rooms there'll be an area where there's a park," she said.

"They're not going to be in a hospital where there's four people to a room."

Celebrate life

Meadows-Forgeron said the plan is to celebrate life and allow patients to have birthday parties and holiday gatherings with family and friends.

Dr. Pam Mansfield, a palliative care physician at Horizon Health, said this is an important step in the continuum of care that's been missing in the community.

"We only have seven private rooms so that means people are dying in combined rooms," Mansfield said. "There's not a lot of space for families. It's really quite difficult and not the best environment for patients or their families, so having a 10-bed residential hospice is really going to help."

Lots of work ahead

But there's a lot of work to be done if construction is to begin next spring.

Dennis Cochrane, chair of the board of Hospice Greater Moncton, said raising $4.5 million is a daunting task.

"It's a huge amount of money but we do think there's a fair amount of pent up interest and there's a fair amount of interest in southeastern New Brunswick and Greater Moncton to have this kind of a facility for their loved ones or for them someday. So we'll be out probably late this fall with a capital campaign."

"The province is going to provide all the clinical staff, so it will be staffed with medical professionals 24/7, 365 days of the year, which is a significant part of the operating cost."

Cochrane said it's an aggressive timeline, but it's something that is needed in the community.

"Yes, it's great if people can stay in their home, but everybody can't afford to do that," he said. "Relatives can't all give the time or the emotion or the energy sometimes that it takes. So this is meant to be another environment between home and rather than the hospital.

"Hospitals do the best they can but they're institutions. This is going to be a home."

Cochrane said if everything goes according to plan, the new hospice is expected to open in November 2019.