On Friday, December 2, Alberta Health Services announced that respite admissions at Rotary Flames House (RFH), which offer palliative care, including a community-based hospice, for children, will be temporarily paused and staff will be redeployed to help with the surge of patients at the Alberta Children's Hospital. 

"To help ensure the right care is available to the young patients that require inpatient care and support, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily pause respite admissions at Rotary Flames House (RFH) and redeploy our staff to assist in supporting patients at the hospital," a news release from AHS read.

AHS stated that they will be working with all families currently using respite services over the coming days, with the goal of having all clients discharged from RFH respite care by Tuesday, December 6. All other services provided at the RFH, including palliative, and end-of-life care will continue and will be temporarily relocated to the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Grief support will also continue.

"We understand this temporary pause in respite services may be concerning and difficult for our clients and families. We will do our best to resume this important service as soon as possible. These are extraordinary times, and we thank Albertans in advance for their support and understanding."

A week ago, AHS also announced that starting in early December a heated trailer would be added as an additional waiting area for when The Alberta Children’s Hospital Emergency Department is at capacity.

Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com