Most people are familiar with a residential hospice that provides patients with end-of-life care. But they may not be aware of the work being done by a volunteer visiting hospice like the Near North Palliative Care Network in North Bay.
With a staff of five people and small army of volunteers they provide services that allow palliative care patients to remain at home. Preston Tapscott, the Events and Fundraising Co-ordinator for NNPCN says, “Our goal as an organization is to have clients who are dealing with an extreme diagnosis to remain comfortable at home so that hospitals and residential hospices are not overwhelmed.”
NNPCN also provides bereavement counselling and connection to clients through phone and zoom calls. The demand for their services through the pandemic has exploded. Prior to Covid they served about 1500 clients. Currently, the discrete number of clients served is around 5,800 people.
NNPCN only receives funding for 1.5 staff members, which means the lion’s share of the operating costs need to be raised within the community.
Monster March Fundraiser
NNPCN holds a few fundraisers throughout the year. But this year, for the first time ever, they’re holding the “Monster March”, a charity trick-or-treat event. It takes place on Saturday, October 21st at the North Bay Museum. The event begins at 11am and will feature live entertainment, goodies, and family activities.
The fundraising portion of the Monster March is a 3km walkathon that that is blended with Halloween trick-or-treating. Tapscott says, “There will be trick-or-treat stations along the route, allowing the kids to collect candy as they walk. We’ll have a few games along the way to give people a chance to earn more goodies.”
The walk begins at the North Bay Museum and continues down Memorial Lane to Lee Park. Once at Lee Park, walkers will turn around and come back to the museum. Participants can sign up online for Monster March 2023 to gather pledges, register teams, or commit to be a sponsor. NNPCN’s fundraising goal is $10,000. The purpose of the Monster March is not only to raise funds but also to raise awareness of visiting hospice services. It’s an opportunity for youth to connect with local seniors and to learn more about NNPCN’s support
Fundraising is essential to continue their important work
NNPCN serves a vast territory in the Nipissing and East Parry Sound Region, including the communities of Sundridge, Sturgeon Falls, Mattawa, and north to Temagami. Many of their clients live in remote areas. During the pandemic, while everyone else was locking down, NNPCN was opening up additional services such “Friendly Calls” for seniors. Tapscott says, “Our role would be to check on them, maybe once a week, have a conversation and try to tackle the loneliness people with mobility issues may face.”
What began as a volunteer visiting palliative core service has expanded to other services. Their largest service today is Bereavement support. Tapscott says, “We had clients who were palliative pass away. Their families would then reach out to us looking for support. So, we opened our Bereavement Support Services. We have one-one and group support services for people who are dealing with different kinds of grief.”
NNPCN also has a service called Nav-CARE where volunteers help clients access the health care services that they need.” Preston Tapscott adds, “Nav-CARE volunteers benefits independent seniors before they become palliative, offering social interaction and supporting their needs in order to tackle isolation and a lack of healthcare networking.”
Volunteers needed
When someone is palliative it creates a ripple effect in other areas. Tapscott says, Families may be struggling, doctors need to be contacted, and the clients needs visits from other people to keep them company. There is a lot more than simply receiving palliative care.”
NNPCN’s top challenges are recruiting new volunteers and seeking new funding. Most clients need bereavement support. NNPCN offers training online and anyone interested in becoming a volunteer or is simply interested in receiving training can do that online at no charge and at their own pace. Tapscott says, “Over the next 20 years the number of people over 80 will explode and volunteer visiting hospices will be key in managing that issue. We want to educate the community on how to care for others. It saves the primary health care system money and capacity.”
If you would like to participate in the Monster March, pledge support or come out to join an afternoon of fun with the community, please click here for more information. You can also visit them online here.
