Moving towards a more compassionate community: Hospice Southeast New Brunswick introduces Nav-CARE

Categories: Care, Community Engagement, Featured, and People & Places.

This article was originally published on The Palliative Approach on August 20, 2023.

By Kelly Ashford

Life-limiting illnesses can cast a long shadow over the lives they touch. For everyone concerned, everyday can bring physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges that test the boundaries of human endurance. Despite the countless individuals that are affected, conversations around life limiting illness often remain unspoken, shrouded in a mix of fear, uncertainty, and stigma. Hospice Southeast New Brunswick is aware of this challenge and since 2004, has been striving to raise awareness of life-limiting conditions and the supports that are available to individuals in the community.

Created by the community, for the community, Hospice Southeast New Brunswick is a testament to the incredible power of a community coming together. Servicing the Albert, Kent, and Westmorland counties, the hospice prides itself on its human- and family-centered approach. Cory Robichaud, Nav-CARE Coordinator, explains how many wonderful memories have been created from people coming together, even without knowing each other, through peer support provided through hospice programming. However, as Frances LeBlanc, CEO notes, most access is currently available in urban centers and more can be done to expand across rural areas. The Nav-CARE (Navigating – Connecting, Advocating, Resourcing, Engaging) program appeared to be a great solution to help solve this issue.

Complementing existing services, Nav-CARE is designed to work alongside the healthcare system, palliative care providers, and support services to address the needs of individuals with declining health, helping to promote quality of life and continued independence. It also empowers volunteers from the community to play an active role in supporting their communities. Having completed specialty training, volunteers can offer a listening ear, help with navigating health and social care services, and provide guidance on connecting with vital resources, as well as offering emotional support that can be a lifeline during these challenging times. Cory expressed how he is “looking forward to being able to provide these services for the rural areas” and that equipping local individuals with the skills and knowledge to deliver Nav-CARE, ensures a sustainable and deeply rooted program that will benefit the communities for years to come.

The implementation of Nav-CARE will also mean that the hospice can extend the continuity of care it already provides, notes Frances. Connecting with people much earlier in their illness trajectory will enable meaningful relationships to be established much sooner; with in-home visits, well before the time comes to move into the hospice, “potential residents and their families really [have time to] figure out what their needs are and what support looks like, making the transition, when the time comes, seamless”. Frances went on to express how “incredibly gratifying it is to see the impact of the care [for residents and their families]… we can really enhance quality of life and memories for these families”. Even when their loved one has passed, “we can continue to offer support through our peer-to-peer programming”, which really speaks to the family-centered approach the hospice embraces, and closes the loop on that continuity of care.

Part of the hospice’s role, as highlighted by Cory, is to work with community members to understand their needs and to act. He mentioned how hospice actively listens and collects feedback which “adds an extra layer of personalization”. He gives examples and explains that “little touches…are just extremely special”. Frances goes on to highlight how the structure of the organization really allows it to be nimble and adaptable enabling them to meet the needs of community members and residents, and that the introduction of Nav-CARE is a perfect example of this in practice.

The power of compassion, dignity, and collective action is evident at Hospice Southeast New Brunswick. Through the efforts of a dedicated community, a sanctuary of support has grown that provides safety and comfort for those facing the challenges of life-limiting illness and end-of-life. The introduction of Nav-CARE will ensure that more people experience the support of the hospice, strengthening the bonds of the community, and demonstrating what it means to truly care for one another.

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