Hospice suites get upgrades after COVID

Thanks to Hospice donors, the Hospice rooms received several enhancements during the pandemic year, including a new ROHO pressure-relief mattress for each suite, a new desktop computer for family use in the lounge, and two new lift-reclining chairs placed next to the room’s windows with views of the garden. In addition, a beautiful donation of original artwork was made by Gigi Hoeller for patients to enjoy.

The Hospice suites, family room and garden became an oasis for many families during the pandemic year on the Sunshine Coast. Unlike in other care homes or hospitals, family members were able to visit Hospice suites as long as they wanted to, because they were safely distanced in the corner of Shorncliffe Intermediate Care Home.

“Knowing there was a pandemic out there, the Hospice suites at Shorncliffe became a sheltered space,” shares Anne, a Hospice grief care client. Anne was able to spend several weeks beside her late husband, Ted who had been diagnosed with vascular dementia and lymphoma and needed a place to stay that would help him feel comfortable. 

“I consider the three months we spent together there before he passed to be a blessing I could not have imagined,” shares Anne, who lost her husband this past spring. “The staff were extremely good, and they really liked Ted and gave him so much attention; he was such a sweet guy.”

Since Ted’s passing, Anne has since taken part in the Hospice-led grief groups at Hospice House in Davis Bay. “The people and the facilitators are very nice, very kind and understanding; it reminds me that I am not alone.”

The Hospice suites and gardens at Shorncliffe serve as a caring refuge for families on the Coast in their journey with death.