OLDS — The Olds & District Hospice Society (ODHS) has continued to see explosive growth, serving more clients with more volunteers.
Figures released during the ODHS annual general meeting (AGM) held Nov. 8 detail that growth.
Hospice care focuses on helping terminally ill people deal with their pain and symptoms. Hospice clients also receive emotional and spiritual support to make their end-of-life journey as comforting as possible.
In recent years, ODHS executive director Mary Marshall has frequently noted that the hospice suites are in high demand. Statistics released during the AGM bear that out.
Figures reported compared numbers from start-up to those as of July 31 this year.
Clients in hospice suites grew from nine at start-up to 89. Length of stay increased from 430 days to 2,573.
At start-up, five clients requested a suite but were not admitted. By July 31 this year that figure had soared to 81.
The number of clients in the bereavement program ballooned from 38 to 203.
The number of clients in the society’s Nav-CARE program roughly doubled from 33 to 77.
That program helps people in declining health live as well and independently as they can in their homes for as long as possible.
Trained Nav-CARE volunteers help clients get access to resources and services they need, while providing companionship and emotional support to them.
“Our new Nav-CARE clients doubled from the previous year. We attribute this to referrals not only from health-care partners but also from other community organizations that support individuals in need,” Marshall said in her report to the meeting.
Over the years, the number of trained volunteers has grown from 138 to 167.
During an interview, Marshall told the Albertan that total volunteer hours have also increased, from more than 2,000 last year to 9,155 this year.
"Our volunteers volunteer in many different areas, including Client Services, events, administrative support, Nu2U, and work on our board and committees,” Marshall wrote in her report.
“This year, we gained many new volunteers with the addition of Nu2U, bringing 40 volunteers that continued to support the thrift store, as well as many others interested in supporting clients and administrative support.”
