Heartland Hospice Moose Jaw continues toward a planned 2023 opening of a renovated wing at Pioneer Lodge – the organization has worked hard at fundraising efforts since receiving approval in August 2021.
Recently, Heartland Hospice held a successful second annual fundraising event in partnership with the Mad Greek.
Mad Greek owner John Iatridis said “I think it’s very important that if you’re in a position to help, that you do. Especially for organizations like this, playing a role in people getting ready to deal with the end of life journey.”
Iatridis added that his mother had died recently, an event that further opened his eyes to the importance of end-of-life care.
Heartland Hospice board member Amanda Dowling said the first rib night last year was a big success thanks to the hard work of Iatridis and his staff, and that they were happy to be making it an annual event.
“We’re just really grateful to be able to continue fundraising with them, and also continuing to build community partnerships.”
Heartland Hospice began in 2013 with Arlene Kolosky. Kolosky was dying, and while she was able to stay home in her final days, she recognized that that was a privilege not everyone enjoyed – and that Moose Jaw had a lack of hospice palliative care options.
Hospice care is what happens after a person has decided to stop trying to prolong their life. It focuses on palliation – easing suffering and increasing quality of life.
Heartland Hospice underwent a kind of reinvention in 2021 when Angela Sereda became the board chair. As of April 2021, Heartland Hospice is a registered charity, which has given them new opportunities for hospice care in Moose Jaw.
Their primary goal is the establishment of dedicated hospice beds at Pioneer Lodge.
Pioneer Lodge renovation plans were approved as of August 2021 as a partnership with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Ministry of Health.
The project will include:
- Three dedicated hospice-palliative beds
- A family resource centre with reading materials and activities for children
- A sacred space for the use of the whole facility
- A dedicated family entrance separate from the long-term care section
- A serenity garden, upon which some work has already been completed
- Essential palliative care training for hospice staff
Dowling said the project should be completed sometime in spring 2023.
Heartland Hospice held a fundraiser over Christmas that asked Moose Javians to buy Christmas ornaments in memory of loved ones. The ornaments lit a Christmas tree outside the Pioneer Lodge long-term care building and lifted the spirits of the residents there.
Thanks to the generosity of the resulting donations, December 2021 was the largest fundraising month in the organization’s history.
If you participated in the “Memories of Christmas Past” fundraiser and would like to have your memorial ornament, you can email sara.bryan@gmail.com.
Future events Heartland Hospice is planning include an April Zoom seminar on the difficult, but necessary legal details of end-of-life care.
Regina lawyer and Heartland Hospice Moose Jaw board member Idowu Adetogun will be breaking down the “nuts and bolts” of planning end-of-life care. She will cover topics such as healthcare directives and power of attorney.
The seminar is April 9 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Registration for the seminar is by email at supportivecare@heartlandhospicemj.ca.
If you or someone you know is currently facing end-of-life decisions, email Heartland Hospice at the above address for expert, compassionate advice and support, and guidance on available resources. They can also direct you to local grief support groups.
