Committee to look into a hospice for Quinte West

By Matthew Murray

BELLEVILLE – Quinte West city council has established a committee to look into having a residential hospice for the region.

Hospices provide palliative (end-of-life) care to patients, often in hospital or homelike conditions.

While there are hospices in Belleville, Picton, Warkworth and Madoc, there are none in Quinte West.

Council decided Monday night that Dr. Sharada Prasad, Mayor Jim Harrison and councillors Karen Sharpe and Sally Freeman will sit on the committee to look into the feasibility of a residential hospice in Quinte West.

Craig Kerr, a volunteer and member of the board of directors for the Bridge Hospice in Warkworth, spoke before the vote. The need for residential palliative care is one of the most significant gaps in health care in the province, he said.

“Seeing the impact the hospice and its staff has had on the residents and their families has made it one of the most satisfying volunteer experiences that I’ve had,” Kerr said.

A residential hospice would be very important for serving the vulnerable and those in need in the community, said Sharpe after the meeting.

In terms of a timeline for the project, she said that there is none just yet.

“In terms of time, it could be months; it could be years. But in terms of researching and reporting back, we want to do our homework. So I can’t really define that timeline,” she said.