Why We Exist

When Mark was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, everything changed. He fought to stay at home for as long as he could but when he needed more help than his family could provide, he found himself at Rosedale Hospice.

Mark spent 3 weeks at Rosedale Hospice, with his family by his side. During his final days, he was surrounded by warmth and love. On July 21, 2019 Mark passed away peacefully.

Following Mark’s death, his 17-year-old son, Sean, struggled. He was angry and he didn’t know what to do with his anger. The entire family was grieving and Sean wanted to help them, but couldn’t. He began to miss school and turn to alcohol to cope.

When Sean’s mother noticed these self-destructive behaviours, she turned to the Children’s Grief Centre for help. Sean began to attend the Common Ground teen group and found great relief in meeting other teens who understood what he was going through.

“Finding out that there are other kids that are going through the same thing as you are, it really makes you realize you are not alone. I am going to be OK. I can get through this.”

Hospice Calgary supports over nearly 5000 individuals each year. Each one of our client’s stories highlights their amazing resiliency and the crucial need for compassionate care during times of illness and grief.

What We Do

Founded over 35 years ago, Hospice Calgary was a driving force in establishing hospice care in Alberta. Today, Hospice Calgary’s comprehensive range of services for those living with advanced illness or grief, and for those at end-of-life is unparalleled.

Hospice Calgary guides children, teens and adults through the grieving process as they face a life-threatening illness and death of a loved one. Our team of professionals provide individual, family and group support as well as 24 hour end-of-life care.  Hospice Calgary helps families cope with loss.

Each year we support nearly 5000 individuals during the toughest time in their life.

Community donations allow us to help all families, regardless of their financial situation. No family is turned away.

OUR PROMISE | Wherever you access our services, we promise to journey with you, through end-of-life and grief, for as long as you need us. We promise to have the difficult conversations about death, dying and grief, hearing your unique story and responding with compassion.

OUR MISSION | To help families and individuals achieve support, hope and well-being through compassionate end-of-life and bereavement care.

OUR VISION | To be an innovative leader for compassionate, holistic, family-centered end-of-life and bereavement care.

OUR VALUES | Compassion – Dignity – Empathy – Equality -Ethical Practice – Family-centred care – Highest quality service – Inclusiveness – Integrity – Respectfulness

How We Do It

The Children’s Grief Centre offers professional, specialized services for grieving children and teens. Our counsellors are recognized experts in end-of-life, grief, and trauma with children under the age of 19. Our services help the entire family to adjust to the changes in their lives caused by loss. We support families through counselling and group programs. Services are offered based on a sliding scale and no family is turned away.

The campaign for the Children’s Grief Centre is now underway. Our $3 Million goal will help us to expand upon our existing services, create a child friendly space through capital renovations, and add enhanced technology to reach more of the grieving families that need us.

With funding received from our campaign, we are anticipating the introduction of text-and-chat counselling for youth in February 2020.

Rosedale Hospice offers a life-affirming alternative to hospitalization or dying at home, focusing on quality of life. Located in the Northwest Calgary community of Rosedale, it is a seven-bed hospice in a quiet, peaceful home for adults with cancer.

Our Community Hospice Services support individuals and families facing advanced illness. The team helps our clients navigate through challenging times. Clients include those living with advanced illness and their family members, with some of the families having children 19 and under.

Counselling sessions can be held where most convenient for the clients.

Our award-winning Living With Cancer program, offered through Community Hospice, is a weekly program for adults who are living with advanced cancer and their family caregivers. Our wrap around approach includes weekly check-ins and navigational guidance through the healthcare system. Designed to offer relief, connectivity, and comfort, our team is ready to respond to each unique need.

Hospice Calgary offers workshops and resources related to end-of-life and grief support for professionals, volunteers and community groups. We are an approved “A Level” provider of Social Work Continuing Education credits. Many workshops are offered free to community volunteer groups with the support of donations.

What You Can Do

Hospice Calgary’s Funding Priorities are:

Program:

1. Community Hospice weekly Living with Cancer program requires donor support. All aspects of the delivery of this award-winning program are supported by donations: $1,000 month for lunches; $4,000 per year for supplies; staff salaries ranging from $30,000 to $70,000 a year.

2. The Children’s Grief Centre is the only program in southern Alberta where children, teens and adults/guardians are supported by professional specialized grief counsellors. Donations support: $120 per hour for a counsellor; $18,000 a year for art and play therapy supplies; $5,000 a year for dinners for grief groups that run 3 times per year for 8 weeks each; $8,000 a year for counsellors to travel to schools and homes in the Calgary region to counsel children and teens. Families are never turned away due to an inability to pay.

3. Rosedale Hospice utilizes individual donations to enhance the quality of care offered to those at end of life. We currently fund raise $500,000- $700,000 for these services each year.

Capital:

1. Rosedale Hospice has 7 patient rooms. This is where our patients spend their final days with their loved ones and we want to ensure the surroundings are comfortable. We currently need seven new TV’s ($1000 each), 5 overbed tables ($1120 each), 4 vinyl reclining lift chairs ($3000 each), and 7 bedside chairs and 14 folding chairs for family members ($9000 total).

2. At Rosedale Hospice our chef provides customized meals for our patients and their families. We are currently in need of a new commercial oven ($5000) and a standing freezer ($4000).

3. At our SE location we serve grieving families and adults living with an advanced illness. The sidewalk around our site is currently in need of repair and positive drainage work. The cost for this repair is $40,000. We want to ensure that our building site is safe and accessible for our clients, especially for those with health-related mobility issues.