Hospice Garden Party prevails over rain

By Michael Riley

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Hospice North Hastings had their garden party on June 22. Initially intended to be held in the backyard of the Hospice property on Bridge St. East, that day's rain prompted moving the proceedings to the Corner Café at the QHC North Hastings Hospital instead. However, the event was extremely well attended and everyone had a wonderful time celebrating the past, present and future of Hospice. Michael Brooks, the chair of the Hospice North Hastings board, comments on this event.
The Bancroft Times did an article leading up to this event titled “Garden Party coming up at Hospice June 22” in its June 19 issue. Despite the rain and the change of venue to the Corner Café, approximately 200 people came by to celebrate the past, present and future of Hospice North Hastings. Attendees enjoyed the food and drink, while mingling and chatting with each other. There were also door prizes and handsome teacup candles that were being given away to the community in appreciation for their continued support over the years. Rob Chaffey from The Rebel Blossoms also provided some wonderful live music throughout the afternoon.
Brooks began the speeches, giving a short history of Hospice and its impact on the community over the last 28 years. In addition to all the dignitaries there that day, he also acknowledged Dr. Carolyn Brown, whose dedication and tenacity helped make Hospice what it is today.
“I have noticed that there are a lot of misconceptions about what Hospice does. I've heard that it is a rooming house or refuge for that lonely traveller at night. Hospice is an extension of the health care system where our focus is caring for terminally ill patients while supporting their families and loved ones. It's where people come for a good death or a good passing. We do that with a caring staff that have specific professional medical experience. We do that with grief and bereavement counsellor either in a group setting or on a one-on-one basis. In addition to our residential Hospice, we also offer in-home care and respite and our community medical equipment cupboard. We do all of this at no cost to the patient or the family,” he says.
MP Shelby Kramp-Neuman, MPP Ric Breese, CEO and President of Quinte Health Care Stacey Daub, Chief Nursing Executive and Vice President of Quinte Health Care Lina Rinaldi and Hospice's own medical director Dr. Micayla Ahearn also spoke about Hospice and its impact on the community over the past 28 years.
Brooks told Bancroft This Week that one of their aims for the garden party was to celebrate the dedicated volunteers, staff and board members who came before them and saw the need for the Hospice in our community and to show the tremendous support from the community and different levels of government and institutions.
“This was definitely demonstrated by the overwhelming number of attendees at the garden party but also by the presence of MP Shelby Kramp-Neuman, MPP Ric Breese, CEO and President of Quinte Health Care Stacey Daub, Chief Nursing executive and vice president of Quinte Health Care Lina Rinaldi and our very own medical director Dr. Micayla Ahearn. All spoke very passionately about the need for hospice in our community. Our second aim of the event was to spread the word about Hospice North Hastings,” he says. “We are here in the community with a caring and professional staff of nurses, PSWs and medical director who can take care and provide support for your loved one during those last few weeks while giving the family the time that they need to ‘just be there.'”