How We Help
Our Services
In-Home Hospice Care
In-home hospice care is provided by trained volunteers who help our clients through practical assistance and emotional support, allowing family members to get out for a few hours or simply to rest. Volunteers receive 40 hours of specialized training in hospice care and are supervised by one of our case managers.
In-home hospice
volunteers may provide:
- Advocacy
- Companionship
- Complementary therapies (i.e. Reiki, reflexology, massage)
- Personal care
- Practical assistance
- Referrals and liaison with other service providers
- Respite care (a break for caregivers)
- Information sharing and educational resources
- Life review and legacy work
- Management of care teams comprised of family and friends
There are no fees for In-Home Hospice Care.
Day Hospice Program
The Day Hospice Program provides an environment that promotes self-empowerment for people living with a life-threatening illness based on a holistic health model. The program is facilitated by Alliance Hospice staff and trained volunteers.
- Hot lunch in dining room with therapeutic meals available
- Peer support, group discussions, and guest speakers negotiated with participants
- Complementary therapies including massage, reiki, therapeutic touch, and reflexology
- Mindfulness training
- Expressive arts exploration including journaling, clay work, scrapbooking, painting, and music.
- One-on-one support with a volunteer
- Rest area in which to relax
- Various entertainment and activities
Dates: Day Hospice is offered on the first and fourth Wednesday of each month
Fee: There is a fee of $7.00 per day to cover meals.
Support & Bereavement Services
Bereavement care is provided through individual counselling, group support sessions, and volunteer telephone support. The Hospice maintains a grief and bereavement lending library, also accessible to the community. Our support & bereavement services include:
Bereavement support volunteers: We offer trained bereavement volunteers for one to one support for a period of up to three months. There is no fee for this service.
Individual counselling: We offer one to one professional bereavement counselling. This counselling may be a single phone call, a one time in person session or more typically a structured course of counselling. This service is provided by registered psychologists on a fee basis.
Bereavement support groups: We offer general support groups (groups for clients who have experienced various losses - spouse, child, parent, friend, partner, etc.), and specific loss support groups where clients have all suffered the same loss (e.g. spousal loss groups). There is no fee for support groups.
Anticipatory grief support: We work with the client’s families to help them prepare for the impending death of their loved one. This may include helping clients and families prepare legacy items such as memorial books, future letters to children, mementos, etc.. We may also help clients and families put differences aside so they can be together more fully in the last months, weeks, or days. There is no fee for this service.
Annual Celebration of Hope and Remembrance: An annual remembrance event for families and friends, held in early December. This non-religious event is an opportunity for people to come together in celebration and remembrance of people who have died. The event incorporates inspirational readings, a candle lighting ritual of remembrance, the naming of the deceased loved ones, and a time for the participants to mingle and reflect about their loved ones.