OLDS — The Olds & District Hospice Society (ODHS) still hasn’t been able to come up with a new name, despite batting around some ideas, executive director Mary Marshall says.
“We are looking at changing our name and focus, but it didn’t happen at the AGM (earlier this month),” she said during an interview with the Albertan.
The ODHS has been looking to change its name to reflect the fact that it doesn’t just serve Olds and immediate area, but basically all of Mountain View County and the urban centres within its geographical boundaries and beyond.
Marshall said in addition to Olds, the society also serves Bowden, Didsbury, Sundre, Cremona, Carstairs, and Water Valley, to name a few.
Marshall said, “Life Care Alliance” and “Mountain View Compassionate Society” were a couple of the names suggested, but AGM attendees wouldn’t go for them.
“They thought they were too long. They wanted something shorter,” she said.
Marshall said she personally liked Life Care Alliance, “because we’re encompassing all aspects of palliative care."
“As we explore other locations for a satellite suite, other communities are quick to point out that they are not a district of Olds,” president Harvey Walsh said in his president’s report.
“Community pride is a good thing, so we put out a call for name suggestions. Nothing has come back yet that has resonated with the board, and we remain open to continued input.”
Marshall noted that ODHS offers several programs, including one to help people cope with the loss of a loved one.
The society also offers Nav-CARE, which helps people in declining health live as well and independently as they can in their homes for as long as possible.
Through that program, trained volunteers help clients get access to resources and services they need, while providing companionship and emotional support to them.
And of course, the ODHS also offers hospice care, which 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.
“Hospice is only 30 per cent of the clients we serve. Seventy per cent is bereavement and Nav-CARE,” Marshall said.
Walsh said he original vision when the society was created was ‘Helping people live until they die.’ Is this sufficient? Can we come up with something better,” he asked.
