Friday was a very good day for two local organizations and their volunteers who play a vital role in the well-being of residents as they near the end of their lives.
Bay of Quinte riding MPP Todd Smith announced permanent top-up funding for operating expenses for Hospice Quinte (Stan Klemencic Care Centre) and Hospice Prince Edward.
Hospice Quinte will receive over $210,000 more while Hospice Prince Edward will benefit from another over $105,000 in base funding that will help with the costs of nursing, personal care
and overhead.
Hospice Quinte is a six-bed facility while the county facility operates a three-bed service.
Hospice Quinte in Bayside helped 222 palliative care patients in the past 12 months involving over 1,000 families.
Smith said that the caring homelike atmosphere that hospices provide not only serve the patient better but also their family and friends and quoted Barbara Bush, the wife of former U.S. President George W. Bush.
“At the end of your life, you will never regret winning one more verdict or earning one more paycheck. You WILL regret time not spent with a spouse, a friend or a loved one.”
The Executive Directors of Hospice Quinte and Hospice Prince Edward, Jennifer May-Anderson and Sandra Barnes respectively, said the money will go a long way to providing more and better service for their clients and their families.
Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson, Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison, and Belleville councillor Lisa-Anne Chatten all stressed how important hospice services are and the need to keep the facilities up front in public discussions so people remember how important it is to donate to them.
