ABOYNE – As part of an Ontario-wide investment in end-of-life care, more beds will be coming to the Aboyne Rural Hospice.
The hospice has been a multi-year process. Organizers say the need was highlighted before the COVID-19 pandemic, and a group of community members and local physicians formed a formal board of directors following the pandemic.
Now, on the back of a provincial approval, six new beds will round out the hospice that plans to have ten total beds.
Co-chair of the hospice board of directors, Sarah Gower, says these extra beds will serve nicely, especially in a region where hospice can unite a typically-underserved area.
The six new beds are a part of a larger approval of 84 additional beds across the province.
Gower explains there was only a four week turnaround to apply when this funding was announced.
The hospice has been on an unsolicited application track up until September when applications opened. Following a lot of background work, Gower says the plan is to build the ten beds on Wellington County-bought land, four of which will be funded by the province.
She added the end-of-life care available locally is excellent, but there’s a unique nuance that only hospice can accomplish.
Next steps, Gower says, will come on the back of pending guidance from the government that should be coming soon.
Gower extended sincere gratitude to the community for both their financial and moral support throughout this lengthy process.
She went on to say the community is lucky to have hospice care on-hand in Guelph and Waterloo, but this rurally-accessible care will make a huge difference.
The target opening date is 2027.
