Members of the volunteer board of directors with the Desert Valley Hospice Society (DVHS) met with officials from B.C. Housing last week to look at the society’s new home, located at 22 Janagold Place in Osoyoos. Even though the building has been sitting idle for seven years, it appeared to be in very good shape. Joining the tour were (from left) Ed Schweitzer from B.C. Housing, DVHS education co-ordinator Lois Brummet, DVHS administrative assistant Tracy MacFadden, Nanette Drobot from B.C. Housing, DVHS board president Janet Shaw and DVHS director Ted Cronmiller. (Keith Lacey photo)
The Desert Valley Hospice Society has a new home, but it’s going to take an extended period of time – maybe years – before patients are in beds receiving nursing care.
After years of looking for a permanent building to call home, the Desert Valley Hospice Society announced last week that it had worked out a deal with the provincial government to open a new hospice centre at a deserted building located at 22 Jonagold Place in Osoyoos.
Janet Shaw, president of the society, was joined by staff from B.C. Housing this past Friday to assess the condition of the building as work crews were busy removing toilets and other materials.
For a building that has been laying dormant for seven years, Shaw and other board members with the society appeared very impressed as the interior and exterior appear to be in very solid shape.
The Desert Valley Hospice Society is a charitable organization that has been committed to end-of-life care for residents in Oliver and Osoyoos for the past several years.
Hospice volunteers are expected to move into the building effective September 1.
Boundary-Similkameen MLA Linda Larson announced the provincial government has signed a three-year agreement with the Desert Valley Hospice society to open a new hospice centre in Osoyoos.
This new centre will go a long way towards addressing the growing need for supportive and palliative care for seniors and others needing assistance with end-of-life care, said Larson.
Shaw made it very clear that while the society is thrilled to have a building to call home, it’s going to take an extended period of time before beds are opened for patients.
“We don’t have funding for that,” said Shaw succinctly.
The funding they have received will allow the society to tender out contracts to clean up the building and start up community programs from there, said Shaw.
“We now have a place to call home and a place where we can conduct meetings and store documents and things like that,” said Shaw. “It will also be a place where we can train volunteers and hold our monthly meetings.
“We will also now be able to plan and organize more programming in the community and start up programming we haven’t been able to get going such as bereavement support programs. The hope is we will be able to start offering respite care and palliative daytime programs in the near future.
“But I want to make it clear we don’t have any plans for actual beds right now and we’re not even close to being able to operate beds and have nursing staff any time soon.”
While there is no specific timeline to open beds to provide end-of-life care, Shaw said “it is probably going to take several years.”
When B.C. Housing provided a hospice centre in Port Alberni several years ago, it took almost a decade for that community’s hospice society to offer a full range of services to clients, said Shaw.
Having a permanent home will also allow the hospice society to work much more closely with other community agencies to ensure there aren’t any duplication of services.
Shaw said she is very pleased with the condition of the building considering it has been lying dormant without a tenant for more than seven years.
However, the building is going to need to be thoroughly cleaned and all of the electrical, plumbing, mechanical and heating systems will have to be checked over thoroughly.
“We’re going to need a complete freshening up, a lot of paint and things like signage,” she said. “When we get all of that done and the building is clean and looking good, we will be inviting the entire community to an open house.”
Health Minister Terry Lake and Premier Christy Clark have both committed to doubling the number of hospice beds in this province by the year 2020, so Shaw remains optimistic that funding to provide quality healthcare to patients once beds are operational will be forthcoming.
“We are extremely grateful for getting this building, but anyone having hopes of actual beds within a couple of months isn’t being realistic,” she said. “This is a big first step and we’re thrilled.
“I can’t say enough about the support from B.C. Housing and our local MLA. We have a home now and the best is yet to come.”
The provincial government will also deliver funding support for operating costs, including building maintenance, property taxes and utilities.
Larson said she is thrilled the provincial government has stepped up to provide this building for an organization that has done great work in Osoyoos and Oliver for many years.
“The great work that the Desert Valley Hospice Society is doing will lead to more options for families in our Southern Okanagan communities who need supportive care and hospice accommodations.”
The provincial government will provide over $37,000 in annual funding toward the operation of the resource development space.
The provincial government will also provide approximately $35,000 per year in operating costs, including building maintenance, property taxes and utilities.
The provincial government has also committed an additional $50,000 to ensure the building is ready for the society to occupy.
Since 2001, the B.C. government has created more than 11,000 new supportive and independent social housing units for seniors and people with special needs.
Shaw is hopeful the community open house will take place sometime before the end of October.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
