Guide

 

How It Begins:  Community Leaders recognize the benefit of interdisciplinary collaboration and improved communication among existing agencies and community service providers.

 

The Goal: Full utilization of the existing knowledge and skills of all community members in collaboration with established best practices to develop a cohesive  and inclusive standard of care that keeps the needs of the dying person (and those who love them) at the centre of care. 

 

The Guidance:  Home Hospice Association demonstrates that end of life care is possible; in a non-institutionalized environment; which may come as relief if your community has  held back trying to establish your own hospice because of the estimated $10,000,000.00 needed to build a building, with beds.

 

Home Hospice Association works directly with a Municipality to establish the relationship with your community and provide guidance: 

 

Environmental Scan

• Learn history of Municipality’s approach to end of life care to gauge potential level of engagement

  • Minimize risk of abdication of responsibilities

• Determine level of interest and assess spirit of collaboration 

• Determine plan of introduction to other players in the community who may weigh in on feasibility

 

Feasibility & Focus

• Analyze full service model that may start to tie together with existing Health Care & Social Justice Agencies

• Complete Community Stake Holder Map

• Initiate one on one meetings with all who have been identified in Stakeholder Map

• Co-Facilitate Service Club and Faith Community Presentations

• Co-host Town Hall Meeting

 

Preparation and Planning

• Assist in the writing of the first Business Plan; Strategic Plan & Operations Plan

• Provide resources such as sample first year Budget and Budgeting Handbook

• Assist in location search and co-present their mission and vision if an in-kind Sponsorship for the physical operations centre is being considered

• Assist in the writing of Marketing & Fundraising Plans (for the purpose of presenting to the community the services now available and the ways in which the community may financially support the services)

• Provide resources for the creation of Service Packages that will be used to solidify the process of  Patient Intake

• Provide resources for the establishment of formal relationships with care providers (professional & volunteer)

• Assist in determining what staff will be required and ensure the budget is adjusted accordingly

  • Provide samples of job descriptions and Not For Profit standards for remuneration

  • Assist in the creating of recruiting ads and associated collateral

  • Assist, if necessary, in the interview process

• Provide Resources such as a performance indicator Dashboard, connected to short term and long term indicators of success and sustainability

“How we care for the sick and dying is surely a litmus test of our humanity. Just as we fight for equality in life, we should fight for equality in death.”     - Bono from the Rock Band U2