Beth Donovan Hospice News

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Please contact us if you are interested in any of the following services:

Grief & Bereavement Support:
Grief and Bereavement Counselling is offered to individuals of all ages, couples and families. Our services include telephone support; virtual support, as well as in-person counselling (in accordance with current Ontario public health guidelines).

Support Before Death: assist with emotional, psychological, or spiritual issues.

Support Following a Death: bereavement services offered to family members and friends after a death.

Bereavement Coffee Group: offered the second Wednesday of every month. Event details can be found on the website www.bethdonovanhospice.ca. Currently, these gatherings are offered via Zoom. A supportive environment for adults who are grieving the loss of a loved one in order to share, process and heal.

Other News:

Medical Equipment: Did you know the Beth Donovan Hospice offers free of charge medical equipment lending to those in our community? We currently have walkers, canes, crutches, bath transfer benches, commodes and transfer wheelchairs. We also accept donations of these types of equipment, as long as they are in good working order.

Day Hospice: Sadly, our Day Hospice program remains closed; but this isn’t stopping us from trying to stay connected. Care packages with a home-cooked meal are being delivered weekly, and regular phone check-ins and Zoom calls are being made.

Pen Pal Project: We initiated a ‘Pen Pal Project’ with a Grade 6 class from Kars on the Rideau Public School. Clients and volunteers received special holiday cards and letters from 26 students. These brought joy and comfort to everyone who received one. We aim to thank and write back to as many students as possible, and are encouraging ongoing connections through the art of writing.

Book Club: The hospice book club meets every other month to discuss books, both novels and non-fiction, that have meaning and lessons for us in our role as hospice volunteers. In the last two years, some notable books have included Being Mortal, by Atule Gawande, an American surgeon. Modern medicine has allowed for better management of once incurable and deadly illnesses; however, it has been less successful in dealing with the undeniable realities of frailty, old age, and death. Through extensive research and conversations with his patients, family members, innovators in care for the elderly, and advocates for change, the author challenges us to look at our own lives and futures. This highly readable book offers hope and guidance for us all.

Another book is Medicine Walk, by the late Canadian First Nations author, Richard Wagamese. It is the story of a young indigenous man, separated from his family as a child, who reunites with his dying father. He agrees to accompany this man, whom he barely knows, on a journey into the back country where his father may find a peaceful place to die. It is a powerful story of family, of redemption and reconciliation, of understanding and forgiveness.

Beth Donovan Needs You:
We are currently looking for new volunteers for a variety of roles including drivers to join our team.

Website: www.bethdonovanhospice.ca. Email: program@bethdonovanhospice.ca. Tel: 613-258-9611 Ext:0.

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