“You could really feel the love.”
Sandra Hollingsworth and Dionne Elgie were having coffee together when the topic of the hospital came up. Both women had recent palliative care experiences at SAH with their fathers. Sandra lost her father, Ian, in 2018, and Dionne’s father, Wayne Adams, passed away at the beginning of 2020. While each woman’s situation was unique, both noted that their care teams at SAH went above and beyond for their families.
“They all had this willingness to make the situation the best it could be for us,” said Sandra. “They worked to rearrange patients so Dad could pass in a private room. They didn’t rush us out. You could really feel the love."
“The nursing staff had a desire to do everything in their capacity to help with the resources they had,” said Dionne. “One nurse got a couch from another wing so our family could sit. Others would work in the dark so my father could sleep. Their care for us was the best they could give.”
For Wayne, Dionne’s father, community gifts provided a Smart IV Pump that allowed him to better manage his own pain. Generous contributions ensured he had warm blankets (from a specialized blanket warming cabinet) to help keep his body temperature up. And donor support even gave him access to a special air mattress pad that helped to prevent further damage to his tissue. All of these tools made a huge impact on the experience he and Dionne had.
But beyond these tools, Dionne and Sandra realized that some simple changes could make a big difference to the experience. A dimmable lamp at the bedside could mean nurses wouldn’t have to work in the dark. A sign for the door could ensure patients weren’t interrupted during a quiet, family time. Or, their own biggest struggle, having coffee and snacks available, could let families stay by a loved one’s side longer. “I didn’t want to leave to grab dinner because Dad could have passed without anyone beside him. I just couldn’t do that,” said Sandra. “I didn’t even want to leave the room for a cup of coffee,” said Dionne.
Community gifts made their experience better, and now they’re paying it forward.
Inspired by their experiences, Sandra and Dionne are working with SAH Foundation to launch a Palliative Comfort Project. They hope to create a warmer, more home-like environment for families, with soft wall colours, comfortable furniture, and basic amenities (TV, mini-fridge, coffee maker, toothbrushes). They are also supporting ongoing palliative care education to ensure healthcare teams better understand what families are experiencing and how best to support them. They hope that by taking care of these details, the family can focus on just spending quality time together. These women were motivated to give back for the same reason many of you are: to make future families’ experiences better.
“We’re a community. When we give, we’re all just helping each other,” said Sandra. “This is just one way to help a family we all belong to. We should all just be giving.”
Community support helps our hospital provide outstanding care!
