Two-bed expansion unlocks new opportunities to serve the community
With support from the Ministry of Health, we expanded our capacity from 10 to 12 beds in early 2023, enhancing our ability to serve more end-of-life patients. The two temporary care suites will eventually undergo complete renovation to become full suites.
The Dorothy Ley Hospice team has never backed away from a challenge. So, when the opportunity arose in fall 2022 to help alleviate pressure on the local hospitals by increasing our beds, we were ready. We had always planned to expand our residence from 10 to 12 beds to allow us to serve more individuals and families. With the necessary government funding, our team quickly identified two spaces that could be converted into new care suites, ordered the equipment, and got to work.
“These weren’t areas frequented much by visitors or family — so it went smoothly with everyone involved and trying to make it happen,” explains Pam Charlebois, manager of residential care. “The discussion came up in December 2022; by January 2023, we had people in those rooms. It was fast.”
Thanks to the new beds, we expect to serve 30 to 40 more end-of-life patients annually. And the expansion enables us to offer respite services — short-term stays that allow caregivers at home to take a break or deal with their own health needs without worrying about their loved ones. “Our predominant function is still serving end-of-life clients, but when we don’t have anyone at home or who is in the hospital who will need the bed in the very near future, then we have the opportunity to bring in someone whose caregiver needs that respite,” explains Pam.
The addition of those two beds has also enabled us to do urgent admissions over the weekend. In some cases, that might be a person who will die within 24 hours of coming into the hospice who may not have had access to a bed in the past.
Over the next year, we will complete the renovation of the two rooms as part of our overall Hospice Revitalization Project. We are adding washrooms, and one of the care suites will be set up to become an isolation room in the event of a future pandemic or issues with infectious diseases — just one more example of how our approach to care continues to evolve as we learn.
Special thanks to the Ministry of Health for their support
Ontario Minister of Health Sylvia Jones and Etobicoke-Lakeshore MPP Christine Hogarth visited our hospice in January to announce the funding for the two-bed expansion. The visit was a chance for us to express our gratitude for the recognition of hospice palliative care as a critical component of community healthcare.
“Think of these not simply as two new beds for this wonderful facility, but rather in terms of uncountable individuals and families supported through the challenges of a life-limiting illness – for years to come,” expressed Etobicoke-Lakeshore MPP Christine Hogarth.