A community engagement conversation will take place on April 12 to discuss palliative and end of life supports for the Cochrane community.

A lot of chatter has been occurring as of late regarding the town's need to offer hospice/24 hour care especially as the community's population continues to grow. For community members needing unpredictable care, with no hospital or hospice, residents are forced to make their way into Calgary or a nearby hospital.

Della Robertson, Chair of the Cochrane Seniors Advisory Committee, says the need for care was identified months ago but because there is so much building for seniors happening in the near future it seemed the perfect time to explore some options.

Grand Avenue Village and Points West Living in Fireside are two projects underway while Bethany Care is in the planning stage of expanding building to the lot next to them. With Bethany Care focusing already on long term care they seemed to be the mostly likely group to approach in considering housing a hospice.

"They have agreed to do that as long as the funding and other issues work out, which we are working on. So we are going to bring the community together to really gather more information and data about their experience around end of life care for their loved ones, friends, and family and look more closely at how we better meet that need within our community."

The community engagement is not to reveal plans or anything of that nature but to discuss community members experience surrounding hospice and what their needs were/are in those situations.

"This conversation will take place and it will give us a lot of information about some of the experiences people have around caring for someone who is at the end of life, what they felt they needed during that time they were a caregiver."

Alberta Health Services, Cumming School of Medicine, and the Palliative Care Society of the Bow Valley will come together to facilitate the conversation.

"There is going to be several people there that are going to help us gather data and identify what the needs are and look at experiences that will help us develop a plan that is good for Cochrane."

Discussion will occur like a world cafe with a facilitator at each table taking notes and supporting the conversation.  All data gathered will be compiled into a report that will be presented to Alberta Health Services down the road. Robertson, adds depending on this meetings' success, a second meeting may be set up.

The meeting will occur on Wednesday April 12 in the Stable Room at the Homestead Building (FCSS) from 1-3 pm. If you can partake in the discussion you are asked to register at 403-851-2978.

 

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