New Green Sleeve program launches on the Coast
Since the start of the pandemic, Sunshine Coast Hospice has been working on a critical new collaborative program for the Coast community. The Sunshine Coast Green Sleeve is a new advance care planning initiative delivered in partnership with BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), shíshálh Nation Home Care, Sunshine Coast Division of Family Practice, and the Shared Care Palliative Working Group.
A Green Sleeve is a kit to store your important medical documents and to help guide the completion of an advance care plan (ACP) in case of a medical emergency or decline in your health. The Green Sleeve will be used by first responders, medical professionals and your loved ones, so they know your wishes for care in the event you are unable to speak for yourself. It is a valuable resource for the entire health care community and the public to communicate personal wishes and goals for care!
The Green Sleeve emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, because it brought to the forefront the importance of planning ahead for our medical care needs. COVID-19 presented a risk of quick deterioration, the possible need for ventilator support or intensive care, and a high incidence of chronic illness. Patients in palliative care and with chronic or serious illness were at risk of becoming sick quickly. What would families do in situations like this? What could be done to help the community respond?
The Community Paramedic for Pender Harbour, Yvonne Lewis, was already working on a Green Sleeve concept for her local community and it offered us an opportunity to collaborate with BCEHS and other healthcare providers to expand the program to serve the rest of the Coast. Through Sunshine Coast Foundation’s COVID-19 funding stream, we received $5,000 to help us develop and print the information contained in the Green Sleeve, including: an emergency information form, substitute decision-maker form, a sample of a MOST form, and an ACP planning guide. The Sleeve also contains a wallet card and two green stickers for your home, to notify paramedics of the location of your Green Sleeve in case of emergencies.
You can pick up a Green Sleeve at any physician’s office on the Coast, or at Hospice House in Davis Bay. The Hospice Society also provides trained ACP facilitators who are available to help guide you through the completion of your Green Sleeve or an ACP. We will provide ongoing workshops and public online events on the program, so to learn more visit www.coasthospice.com/acp.
Initial funding for this program was provided by Sunshine Coast Foundation, Hospice donors and the Shared Care Partners for Patients.