Ten weeks ago, I lost my dad. He was 82 years old and while there is nothing that can truly prepare you for the death of a loved one, as a family we feel very fortunate that my dad spent his last weeks at the Nipissing Serenity Hospice.
In the days leading up to the transfer from the North Bay Regional Health Centre to the Nipissing Serenity Hospice, we struggled as a family to come to terms with this next step. A hospice? The place where people go to die? This meant my dad was never going home. It was a hard reality to accept. Would bringing him home to live out his final days not be the better option?
Sandra Carriere, the clinical care lead for the hospice, was available to talk to us during my dad’s hospital stay. She took the time to answer all our questions, address all of our concerns and offer us peace of mind that we, as a family, were making the right decision for my dad. None of our concerns were insignificant and no question was too small.
The day arrived for my dad to be moved from the NBRHC to the hospice. While my mother, my brother and I all still had some doubt about this decision, almost instantly after arriving at the Nipissing Serenity Hospice, we knew it was the right one. My dad was welcomed at the doors by two incredible staff members — Lisa and Heather — who immediately made my dad, and the rest of us, feel at home. Within the first 20 minutes of arriving, my dad was settled in his spacious room that looked out onto the most beautiful green space and was eating one of his favourite foods — raisin toast — and drinking his beloved Pepsi. Every effort is made to “normalize” a patient’s time at the hospice.
My dad did not don uncomfortable hospital gowns during his stay but instead proudly wore his Leafs T-shirt and his Noah Strong apparel. Visitors — and there were many — could stop by at any time. At the hospice, there are no visiting hours. When his granddaughter Amanda got married in Watertown, N.Y., my dad was able to watch the ceremony live thanks to the technology available on site. And one day, at least 15 of his Thursday afternoon retired teachers' group, enjoyed their coffee in the screened-in outdoor room. "Butch” was in his glory!
My dad would spend three short weeks at the hospice. During that time, he was treated with an incredible amount of dignity and respect. The staff — Megan, Lisa, Heather, Derek, Rikki, James, Ashlyn, to name a few — were so attentive to his needs, both medically and personally. They made sure he was comfortable and that he was always pain-free. Nipissing Serenity Hospice is blessed to have such an incredible set of nurses, RPNs and PSWs servicing their patients. They were professional yet compassionate, and kind. There are no words to properly describe the gratitude and appreciation we have for them and the important role they played in the final weeks of my dad’s life both for him and equally, for his immediate family. We were all greatly impacted by our short stay at the Nipissing Serenity Hospice.
The stigma and doom and gloom vibe we might once have felt about a hospice has now been replaced by hope, respect and empathy. As a community, we are incredibly blessed to have this facility at our fingertips where our loved ones can transition to the next stage of their journey with such dignity. Please consider supporting the Nipissing Serenity Hospice fundraisers or by making donations, as 40% of their budget is not funded. They rely on community support to provide the exceptional care that we experienced. Upcoming events include the Hike for Hospice and the Rocktober Fundraiser with music by the Maple Hill Project.
With gratitude,
Alyson (Turcotte) Roynon
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