November 24, 2010
MEDICINE HAT – Alberta Health Services is working with local continuing care operators to add a community-based hospice program and 70 new continuing care beds.
"I am extremely pleased to see this important hospice initiative move one step closer to fruition for Medicine Hat and southeastern Alberta," said Rob Renner, MLA for Medicine Hat Constituency. "I commend the considerable commitment from many in our community that helped move this project forward."
AHS will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) this week, seeking an operator for the hospice program as well as for 70 new supportive living beds.
"We have heard from the community and recognize the need to add hospice to the range of services we provide in Medicine Hat," said Grant Walker, South Zone Vice President. "We are anxious to move forward and we're confident we’ll have something in place soon."
Hospice-palliative care is a type of care or philosophy of care that focuses on individuals at the end of their lives. Care is not only focused on symptoms of disease or aging but on the whole person – their physical, emotional, spiritual and social health.
"A busy acute hospital environment isn't the best place for people to spend their final days," said Jan Dynes, chair of the Hospice Committee of the Medicine Hat Regional Hospice-Palliative Care Society. "We envision a hospice that provides care in a home-like, peaceful setting where individuals at end-of-life can be comfortable, cared for, and surrounded by loved ones."
Currently, there are 529 continuing care beds in the city, including 121 supportive living.
The additional 70 beds are part of a provincewide initiative to add capacity within continuing care. Since announcing its goal to add at least 1,000 beds by March 31, 2011, AHS has expanded capacity by more than 800. By March 2011, AHS will have added more than 1,300 continuing care beds. The increased capacity will have a positive impact on Emergency Department wait times and the flow of patients in acute care hospitals.
For interested operators, the RFP will be found on Alberta Purchasing Connection – http://www.purchasingconnection.ca/.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than 3.7 million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
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