Local hospice recognized for top service standards

By Zachary Roman

The continued hard work of those at Bethell Hospice is being recognized.

Bethell Hospice has received accreditation status for a three-year term from Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO), a provincial association for hospices and palliative care providers, professionals, and volunteers throughout Ontario.

The HPCO's mission is to ensure “a future where every person and family in the province of Ontario can quickly and easily access the finest standard of hospice palliative care when required.”

To this end, HPCO accreditation is the provincial benchmark for hospice palliative care programs in Ontario that provide the highest service standards and best practices to clients.

Bethell Hospice has been accredited for the following programs and services it offers: Hospice residence, in-home visiting hospice, grief and bereavement support, and spiritual care services.

In order to get accredited, the Bethell Hospice team needed support and input from Bethell Hospice staff, volunteers, and clients and their family members, as a comprehensive review of all of Bethell Hospice's services was done, comparing them to HPCO standards.

Kelly Stronach, Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications for the Bethell Hospice Foundation, explained that completing an accreditation review with HPCO is an efficient and effective means of continuous learning and improvement.

Bethell Hospice board chair Lynn Dobson said achieving accreditation status validates Bethell Hospice's pursuit of excellent, person-centered care. 

“​​Achieving such a lofty goal during a pandemic makes the result even more meaningful and valued. These have been challenging times and the Bethell team has clearly met the challenge and excelled,” said Dobson in a statement. “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to acknowledge the excellent teamwork, devotion and dedication of our leadership team, staff and volunteers. It takes a devoted and capable team to achieve such an important goal. It is a pleasure to celebrate this achievement with our community.”

Bethell Hospice, which is located in Inglewood, is the only residential hospice that serves all of Caledon, Dufferin County and Brampton.

It offers 24-hour care at the hospice in Inglewood, and various community programs and services for those living in their own homes. All programs and services at Bethell Hospice are provided at no cost. The hospice receives partial funding from Ontario's Ministry of Health, but must also raise $1,500,000 each year through its Bethell Hospice Foundation.

Upcoming fundraisers for Bethell Hospice include the Golf 4 Bethell Hospice tournament on September 20 and the Diamond in the Hills fashion show on November 13.

Golf 4 Bethell hospice is being hosted at Caledon Woods Golf Club in Bolton this year. It will be the third running of the tournament, with the second running raising over $45,000. Tickets to the tournament are $225, and players can expect to play 18 holes of golf with shared power carts, enjoy breakfast and a barbeque lunch, get drinks at the cash bar and have a chance to win prizes or silent auction items.

Those interested in more details on the tournament or booking their spot can reach out to Martina Whittick at 905-838-3534 extension 2227 or visit golf4bethellhospice.ca.

Tickets to the Diamond in the Hills fashion show, which is held at The Arlington Estate in Vaughan, sell out quickly according to Stronach.

The 2021 running of the show raised over $215,000 for Bethell Hospice. Tickets for the night of “fun, friends and fashion” are $150 and can be bought online at bhf.akaraisin.com/ui/diamondinthehills2022.