The Mountain View County policies and priorities committee has been given an update on the activities and plans of the Olds and District Hospice Society (ODHS).
The review came during the committee's recent regularly scheduled meeting in council chambers.
ODHS president Harold Johnsrude and treasurer Charlene Schramm appeared as a delegation before the committee.
Hospice palliative care aims to relieve suffering and improve quality of living and dying for persons with terminal illness facing end of life, said Johnsrude.
The ODHS operates two palliative care beds in Olds and serves the entire Mountain View County region.
Members also help clients in the community and in hospitals.
Persons in palliative care "need to feel comfortable, need to feel safe, need to feel respected and need to be heard," said Schramm.
"The gift we offer is mostly presence, whether it's in their home or in a facility or in our hospice suites, or even in the hospital," she said.
The hospice service is provided free of charge to clients, with the society funding the room, meals and housekeeping, and Alberta Health Services funding health-care personnel.
"We have heard wonderful comments about the facility and the ability to have a home-like environment for the remaining days of their life," said Johnsrude.
Formed in 2010, to date the society has served more than 230 clients and their families.
The society's governance structure includes a board of directors and various committees, including operations, finance, funding, communications and governance.
The society's 2017-18 budget revenue includes donations of $56,000, fundraising events of $41,500, grants of $48,875 and other revenue totalling $1,625.
Expenses include $33,400 for personnel, $70,500 for the suites, and $44,100 for operation and promotion.
Local government grants in 2017 included $15,000 from Mountain View County community health, $3,960 from FCSS Mountain View County, $3,960 from Olds FCSS, and $1,000 from Didsbury FCSS.
"We certainly appreciate the funding support we get from the county," he said. "There has been tremendous community buy-in. We will have organizations contact us and ask us if they can put on an event to raise funds.
"There have been service clubs and businesses who have said, ‘we would like to have a day where we will raise funds.' There has been tremendous support."
There were a number of successes over the past year, he said.
"The community at large has been very supportive of the initiative," he said. "We have volunteers involved in client care and on the various committees.
"The clients who have been in our suites have given positive testimonials on the support and the ability to get the kind of care they need and be in a home-like environment."
There are also a number of ongoing challenges, he said.
"We've had continual changeover in home care and in health care and so on," he said. "How palliative care is handled throughout the province varies from a city to a small community. We feel that rural residents should have that same service as someone living in Calgary or Edmonton or Red Deer."
Looking to the future, plans for the society include the possible creation of an executive director position, he said.
"Awareness is important for the community," he said. "We've had lots of visibility but there are still people in the community that aren't aware of the services we provide."
The society will be exploring future partnerships, he said.
"We have met with the board (of Mountain View Seniors' Housing) and made a presentation," he said. "We are always looking for opportunities for future partnerships."
Deputy Reeve Angela Aalbers commended society members for their efforts.
"Thank you for what you do for our communities," said Aalbers. "It's wonderful to know you are there and thank you for all you do for the families."
Coun. Peggy Johnson added, "I really, really appreciate the great work you are doing in our community and I think it is really important to have the services there when you need them."
Small communities across the province have been contacting the society to learn more about the way things are being done here, said Johnsrude.
"There is awareness and there is buy-in," he said.
The policies and priorities committee is made up of Mountain View County councillors.
"I really, really appreciate the great work you are doing in our community and I think it is really important to have the services there when you need them."
