Residential hospice in Moncton expected to be fully operational by November 2019

Hospice Greater Moncton officials say it’s been over 14 years in the works, but they’re thrilled to be moving forward with a residential hospice.

The group, which works with patients who are nearing the end of their lives, is receiving 2.2 hectares of land donated by the Humphrey Lewisville Sunny Brae Lions Club.

“This residential hospice will have 10 rooms,” says Tradina Meadows-Forgeron, who is the executive director of Hospice Greater Moncton. “It will have four family rooms, a chef. We’re looking for housekeepers and janitors and so on, but this will be more like a home environment, not a hospital environment.”

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Over $1.08 million from announced by the provincial government, will help the clinical side of the residential hospice, hiring four-and-a-half nurses (positions), four-and-a-half support workers, one nurse manager and one social worker.

There are seven palliative care rooms at the Moncton Hospital. All private rooms are generally occupied by “isolated cases,” meaning patients don’t get to be alone with their family, according to Dr. Pamela Mansfield, Clinical Director of Palliative Care for the Moncton area.

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“Often times, unfortunately, people end up dying in a semi-private, so two people, or even in a ward room with four people in a room,” she says. “That’s not great care for the patient or for the family members; there’s no privacy. You might want to say something very private to a loved one and you’re not able to have that space.”

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Hospice officials expect to have a fundraising in the fall, when they anticipate launching a capital campaign.

“We’re working on the plans for building the residential hospice, hoping to break ground in the spring and then to be fully functional by November 2019,” says Meadows-Forgeron.

The total cost of the project is expected to be roughly $4 million.