Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley
Work began on the Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley in September of 2012 by Maria Kliavkoff with financial support by Susan Kliavkoff. By November of 2012 the first board was assembled. The Board consisted of Karen Arif (VP/Treasurer), Catrien Dainard (Secretary), Dr. Chris Gooch, Maxine Jones, and Donna Power who became the first President of the Board of Directors. For a list of current board members please click here.
We became a society on February 15, 2013.
The Constitution which was ratified by the Board of Directors in December 2012 and was modified in a special meeting in 2014 is here below. It is this document that governs all choices and decisions made by the Board of Directors of the Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley.
Vision Statement
Hospice is an oasis where no one dies or grieves alone
Mission Statement
To provide emotional care, understanding, comfort, and a sense of well-being to individuals and their families/friends through compassionate anticipatory grief, end-of-life diagnosis, and bereavement support. And to be an advocate for change in the way communities care for the dying and their caregivers, and for the bereaved.
Description
Hospice is not a place, it is a concept. The focus is on caring, not curing – on life, not death. Quality of life, family wellness, community involvement and personal dignity are all part of our compassionate and progressive vision.
Our mandate is to make the last months of life comfortable and peaceful for clients and their families by:
- improving quality of life,
- facilitating important conversations,
- developing creative ways of coping,
- supporting healthy grieving and,
- fostering growth and emotional healing.
To provide programs and services that support those struggling with the intense emotions associated with grief, loss, and bereavement.
HSCV is community based. Trained volunteers provide one-on-one support in the form of in home and/or hospital/care home visitations for anticipatory grief, end-of-life and bereaved clients.
HSCV is part of a comprehensive care team; we work closely with clients, families, medical representatives, social workers, and caregivers.
All programs, services, resources, and education to residents in need of support are free.
HSCV’s actions are governed by the knowledge that there is a duty to manage resources wisely and cost effectively.
Values & Guiding Principles
Compassion: We demonstrate compassion by:
- Being present, open, and engaged
- Acknowledging feelings
- Allowing and validating emotions
- Demonstrating comforting physical gestures
Respect: We demonstrate respect by:
- Listening with an open mind and heart
- Seeking to understand, not respond
- Recognizing needs of others
- Holding space for others / Sacred silence
- Recognizing and celebrating diversity
- Acknowledging contribution
- Accepting where others are at
- Honouring confidences
Honesty: We demonstrate honesty by:
- Acting transparently and congruently
- Seeking and speaking – Seek the truth, gather facts
- Checking our perceptions
- Owning our own behaviour
Constitution of the Society
The purpose of the Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley is to
- Promote health by relieving conditions associated with end of life in the 14 communities of the Columbia Valley by providing Hospice Services in the form of in home and/or hospital visitation to those diagnosed with a terminal illness.
- Promote health by relieving conditions associated with bereavement and the grief process through programs designed to support those struggling with the intense emotions associated with grief, loss and bereavement.
We invite you to become part of the team by becoming a member of the society and/or by volunteering. You are always welcome to stop by the office or give us a call at (778-526-5143) to learn more about who we are and what we do.
British Columbia Hospice Palliative Care Association
The Hospice Societies of British Columbia have agreed to the following definition:
“Hospice Societies provide support and care for people living with life-limiting illness and for people at the end of life, family friends and others affected by life-limiting illness or death. They also provide support and care for people experiencing bereavement and those who are grieving. Hospice Societies’ support and care aims to enhance quality of life, provide comfort, and ease suffering while maintaining people’s dignity. Hospice Societies provide emotional, social, practical, spiritual, and grief and bereavement supports.
Hospices Societies use a whole-person approach that is person and family-centered. Their support and care are provided with compassion and recognize and respect the diverse aspects of a person’s identity and culture. Specially trained staff and volunteers deliver their support and care in a variety of settings, including the person’s home, long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, hospice facilities or residences, hospitals, virtual platforms, or other community locations. Hospice Societies are part of a broader system of formal and informal supports.
In British Columbia, the services hospice societies provide and the way they provide them can vary, depending on which community they serve Hospice Societies are not the same as a hospice facility or residence which provide 24-hour medical care for people with palliative ad end-of-life care needs. Oly a few hospice societies operate a facility or residence.
