Abbotsford Hospice Society donated $10,000 in support of the new Abbotsford Regional Hospital and
Cancer Centre. You can help too...
Our Approach
We...
strive to support all religions, cultural values, and spiritual belief systems;
affirm that life should be lived fully until death, and strive to ensure that individual choices are respected;
provide emotional and spiritual support through volunteer companioning;
provide education to help patients and families cope with end of life issues; and
honour a strict code of confidentiality.
Funding Options ...
Program Funding Several Programs require ongoing support from the community. Capital Funding In planning for the accommodation of new and the expansion of existing programs, renovations and equipment are necessary.
Learn how you can donate now to support Hospice Services in your community: « click here »
Christine Morrison Hospice
We recently partnered with Mission Hospice Society, Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation, and
Fraser Health Authority to deliver the Christine Morrison Hospice Residence in Mission, located about twelve
minutes from Abbotsford.
The Christine Morrison Hospice Residence is a beautiful facility that sets the standard in the delivery of sensitive services
to meet end-of-life needs.
Leaders in Bereavement and Palliative Support Services
Overview
The Abbotsford Hospice Society (AHS) is a support and resource centre for those living with a terminal
illness or grieving the loss of someone significant and has been serving the community since 1986. Dedicated professionals
and volunteers provide emotional, spiritual and practical support to adults, teens and children who are anticipating a
death, facing their own death or grieving the loss of someone significant.
Areas of service include:
One to one companionship or counseling (a variety of settings including our centre, in hospital, private homes
and extended care facilities);
Support groups (at our centre or at your organization);
Reading and reference materials (quiet time in the library or borrow from our resource selection);
Public education and professional development (at our centre or at your organization); and
Community referrals (if we can’t help, we will try to find someone who can).
Thanks to generous community donors AHS bought and remodelled the house at 33134 Marshall Road in 1999, creating a
Resource and Support Centre. In 2003 AHS retired the mortgage on the Marshall Road property thanks to the Rotary Club
of Abbotsford.
With a view to expanding our services in the future AHS purchased the property on Westbury Avenue behind its existing
centre. Thanks to Abbotsford resident the late Ella Lister we have retired this mortgage as well. Ella’s dream was
to see advanced and sophisticated at-home palliative and bereavement care and a hospice residence in Abbotsford where
palliative patients could receive the comprehensive support they need.
Currently the hospice residence (medical facility) where patients can spend their final days is located minutes away in the
neighbouring city of Mission BC. Abbotsford palliative patients have the option to attend at Christine Morrison Hospice
as this beautiful facility serves both the Abbotsford and Mission (see video, left column).
Volunteers and staff from both Mission Hospice Society and the Abbotsford Hospice society support families from their
respective communities who are anticipating the death of a loved one or grieving a loss.
As leaders in bereavement and palliative support services the Abbotsford Hospice Society is building upon the diverse
volunteer base that forms the foundation of our community support system. Abbotsford Hospice Society volunteers
come from various backgrounds and cultures. Our companion volunteers, facilitators, trainers, staff. counsellors
and educators bring unique and invaluable perspective to our work.
Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre
One of the aspects of our one-to-one companionship program involves hospital visiting and Abbotsford Hospice Society
volunteers and staff will continue to provide this emotional, spiritual and practical support to patients and families at
the new Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre (ARHCC).
The new hospital offers regional services such as the unique Tertiary Palliative Care Unit,
which will open at the beginning of November 2008.
Involvement at the TPCU will include:
Supporting patients and their families (with staff and volunteers);
Attending rounds;
Training and assigning volunteers;
Providing complimentary therapies by qualified volunteers; and
Planning and participating in memorial services
Additionally AHS will receive orientations for the specific wards where we will be visiting palliative patients e.g. oncology,
general medicine ward (palliative beds).
Lastly AHS staff and volunteers will visit the ARH Emergency Room upon request from an ER social worker to provide support
to families and friends who are anticipating an imminent death.
Overall ARHCC will provide a greater range of health services to Fraser Valley residents in a modern, healing environment
to more than 150,000 residents in Abbotsford and more than 330,000 residents in the Eastern Fraser Valley. As part of the
Fraser Health Abbotsford Palliative Care Team.
Abbotsford Hospice Society will provide bereavement and palliative support services to patients and their families.
Fundraising
As a non profit society focused on providing and promoting effective ways to cope with end of life we continue in our
efforts to enhance our services and public education and provide free services to the City of Abbotsford. To that end,
the Abbotsford Hospice Society holds three major fundraisers every year.
The fundraising year begins in February with the “Hearts for Hospice” Gala Benefit. In August AHS hosts the
“Danielle Browne Memorial Golf Tournament” at Ledgeview Golf & Country Club. Each fall, a group of dedicated
volunteers (two of which founded the “Hearts for Hospice” Committee) bring together fashions from local merchants
and designers with the Envision Financial sponsored “Fashion Fantasy”.
AHS receives yearly gaming funds by way of a Bingo affiliation as well as varying amounts resulting from our yearly
Direct Access grant application. As well have a contract for services with Fraser Health to assist us with recruiting,
training and supporting our specialized palliative support volunteers.
In addition the Abbotsford Hospice Society gratefully accepts community support through individual and corporate
donations that provide both program and capital funding. Every donation enables us to further our goals, increase
our services as well as to train more volunteers and caregivers to build our pool of human resources on which we rely so much.
It is truly inspiring to see such a diverse community come together to show support for the services offered by AHS.
The Abbotsford Hospice Society acknowledges the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia.
