About
In the Columbia Valley, hospice is a concept, not a place. Our focus is on caring, not curing and on life, not death. There is always love, joy, togetherness, smiles, tears, wonder and solace in our lives. For our clients and their families, this is concentrated into a shorter period of time.
We support quality of life, family wellness, community involvement and personal dignity. The purpose of the Society is to help individuals and families during the dying and grieving process, offering compassionate care for:
- Individuals’ facing life-limiting and terminal illness,
- People who are bereaved by sudden death and those who know it is coming and live with anticipatory grief,
- Family, friends, caregivers and colleagues.
The Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley was incorporated under the Societies Act of British Columbia in February 2013, establishing our registered charitable status. The communities we serve are found between Canal Flats and Spillimacheen in Southeast British Columbia.
Our Impact
2023 was a record year for the Hospice Sociey of the Columbia Valley. We supported the highest number of clients ever served and our volunteers carried out more visits than they ever have.
- There were 632 End-of-Life visits, 450 Bereavement visits, 44 Anticipatory Grief visits, and 440 Companionship and Compassion (NavCare) visits. 25 clients received one-on-one complicated grief counselling and 11 people-in-crisis found support by dropping in to the office.
- Our 51 volunteers performed a record 2710 hours of volunteer work, including 31 who were new and received specialized training.
But our impact with our clients goes far beyond the number of hours they spend. This time represents both conversations and silences, laughter and tears, sitting beside and helping get outside in the sunshine. These hours represent friendships that develop over years, months or weeks, and our volunteers invest their hearts as well as their skills in walking alongside people affected by grief or death.