Organizers of a meeting to gauge support for more palliative care options in and around St. Albert were delighted by the turnout Thursday at the Royal Canadian Legion downtown.
The meeting, chaired by Christian Reformed Church Pastor John Luth, was organized weeks ago by a group of St. Albert and area volunteers who are concerned about the lack of palliative care in the city. Luth said the purpose of the meeting was to learn a bit more about the palliative care situation, and, if those present agreed, to form a steering committee with the goal of exploring options for improving palliative care in St. Albert.
“There seems to be a growing momentum,” said Luth to the crowd of about 40 people. He noted there is only one palliative care bed in St. Albert, at the Youville Home.
Luth said the emotional toll on families who have loved ones in palliative care is enormous, as families have to mostly take them to hospitals in Edmonton.
This is what happened to local resident Leslie Gierulski, her family and her 31- year-old daughter Krista Sims, who passed away in 2010 of cancer. Gierulski related her experience to the crowd; of the pain her daughter coped with dying, and the pain her family coped with as Krista died. “Our options were one bed in St. Albert or else we had to go into the City of Edmonton,” said Gierulski. “So we went into the Grey Nuns.”
Gierulski said she felt the rapid growth in and around St. Albert should also include new health facilities. “We’re getting Costco, we’re getting everything,” she said. “But we’ve got nowhere for people who are dying.”
Dr. Elisa Mori-Torres spoke next. She said she practices in Edmonton, but is a resident of St. Albert and has read articles in the Gazette about the palliative care issue, an issue she is very familiar with.
After presenting much factual information abut palliative care, Dr. Mori-Torres stated research has shown that increased funding doesn’t necessarily improve palliative care; things like access to family make a palliative care patient’s quality of life better.
Alberta Health Services’ Garry Engler spoke next. He’s been a member of the group examining the local palliative care situation. He echoed many of Luth’s comments and stated St. Albert has been identified as an area needing more palliative care resources.
Representatives from the Youville Home and Covenant Health also spoke, describing the lack of palliative care in St. Albert and suggesting a co-operative approach between multiple organizations has a better chance of succeeding.
At the end of the meeting, Luth handed out, then collected volunteer forms for those wishing to help form a steering committee.
Volunteer Jack Dalmaijer said the project, if it goes ahead, is long term. “It will not happen tomorrow,” he said. The St. Albert Gazette will have an update soon on the steering committee members.
