Living with a life-threatening illness, or providing care for a loved one as they near end of life, can be very difficult. At Chatham-Kent Hospice we are here to help. Our dedicated and experienced staff and volunteers are honoured to serve our residents and their loved ones.
Hospice Palliative Care is a philosophy of care which focuses on comfort, quality of life, and supporting the precious moments families will share with their loved one during their final days together. Hospice care is not as much about dying as it is about living - living each day and each moment to the fullest. We are there to help our residents live each day with dignity and honour by providing compassionate, end-of-life care in a home-like setting.
The hospice includes ten fully furnished suites, with state of the art medical equipment and room for family members to stay overnight if they wish. Additional spaces in the hospice include family gathering and meal spaces, a bereavement support area, courtyard, resource library and meeting rooms. The overall design allows us the flexibility to grow new outreach programs and play a role in developing a centre of learning for healthcare providers and the families of Chatham-Kent.
What to expect
- We welcome visitors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Family and caregivers are welcome to stay overnight
- Meals are provided for residents. Baked goods, treats, soup, coffee and tea are available for visitors
- Residents and families are encouraged to treat the building as their home
- All programs and services are provided at no cost to residents or their family
- Double wide doors so beds can move freely from Suite to Great Room to Courtyard
Everyone Welcome
Chatham-Kent Hospice welcomes all members of the community, regardless of race, national origin, colour, political affiliation, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family status, marital status (including single status), economic circumstance or disability. This is to be reflected in the individuals we care for as well as in our recruitment strategies for both staff and volunteers to ensure that we reflect the diversity of the Chatham-Kent Community.
Our History
In 2011, a group of dedicated volunteers formed the Chatham-Kent Residential Hospice Leadership Group and started meeting every 3 weeks with the purpose of establishing a residential hospice in Chatham-Kent.
On June 25, 2013, the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network confirmed operating dollars for a 10-bed residential hospice for Chatham-Kent. The decision to provide annual operating dollars was in response to a proposal developed by the volunteer community group.
On July 23, 2013, the newly formed Chatham Kent Hospice Inc. Board of Directors met for the first time. It consisted of 10 directors from a variety of communities, all driven by a passion to establish a residential hospice.
The leaders of the hospice project understood that to be successful, our community hospice needed a Chatham-Kent solution to increasing healthcare costs and constant healthcare changes. The result is a collaborative venture with St. Andrew’s Residence that provides high quality care and programming in a transparent and accountable method to the community.
After a successful Capital Campaign in 2014, construction began in April 2015. Westhoek Construction Ltd was awarded the contract, working closely with ROA Studio Inc., our project’s architect. Both firms are from Chatham-Kent. The construction was completed and Chatham-Kent Hospice began operating in April 2016 - almost a year to the day of breaking ground.