Hospice Continues to Care for Windsor-Essex Community, and Stretches to Meet Growing Need

March 2021

Clinical Team

March 29, 2021

A pillar of our community since 1979, The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County has continued to offer compassionate care throughout the pandemic.

Both Hospice Residential Homes, located in Windsor and Erie Shores (Leamington), have remained open, caring for patients and families. In addition to the Residential Homes, the Hospice Palliative Medicine Program provides support for patients to stay in their own home as the patient receives palliative and end-of-life care.

Hospice physicians, nurses, social workers, spiritual and religious care practitioners, and volunteers offer virtual, as well as face-to-face in-home visits to these patients. Since the onset of COVID-19, the number of patients being cared for at home has grown exponentially.

“During COVID our ‘normal’ roster grew, and our team completed over 1,000 more visits to patients and families than we had the previous year,” said Dr. Darren Cargill, Medical Director at the Hospice.

This means the same exceptional care has been provided to many more patients and families, but using the same team and stretched resources. Although this increase is in part due to COVID-19, the Hospice team expects the growth to continue long after our community moves past the pandemic.

With less than 60 per cent government funding, donations remain the lifeline for Hospice’s high-quality palliative care delivery. Hearing about the increased need in our in-home program, two local families and longtime friends of Hospice offered their support. Both the Toldo and O’Neil Foundations reached out to help, specifically with the growth of the Palliative Medicine Program, providing crucial support in a time of need.

“Our community partners and donors have been so generous, and we can’t thank them enough. Their support means so much to our entire team of staff and volunteers who have been going above and beyond, stretching to meet the needs of our community throughout this difficult time,” said Colleen Reaume, Hospice Executive Director.

“If you know a Hospice staff member or volunteer, or see them in the community, please say hello, and extend your thanks – your support means so much.”

As we navigate the pandemic, the Hospice continues to offer compassionate care to patients and families in our community.