Aboyne Rural Hospice is a community-led effort to bring a new, ten-bed hospice closer to home for families in rural Wellington County.
Everyone should be able to spend their final days surrounded by the people they love, in a place that feels like home. For too many families in rural Wellington, that isn’t possible yet.
A local hospice will help address this growing need by providing dedicated hospice beds close to home, ensuring more families can remain connected to their community during life’s most important moments. Meet the people behind the project and view how palliative care has developed over the years in our County. Together, we can ensure that everyone has access to quality end-of-life care close to home.
History, Present and Future
Aboyne Rural Hospice is a community effort — built on the belief that everyone in rural Wellington should have access to compassionate, dignified end-of-life care close to home.
A rural end-of-life care program for Wellington County was established with the hiring of 6 community care Registered Nurses. Visits to Victoria Hospice and studies of other palliative care programs helped shape a vision for expanded end-of-life care.
The Rural Wellington Hospice Palliative Care Program was established, with 2 palliative care suites at Groves Memorial Community Hospital, one at Palmerston Hospital and one at Louise Marshall Hospital in Mt. Forest.
Initial contact was made with Guelph Hospice Wellington to express interest in establishing a new rural hospice location.
The Rural Wellington Hospice Working Group was formed and began recruiting champions for a rural hospice. A needs assessment was completed, and planning meetings were held with Wellington County, the Local Health Integration Network, and Groves Memorial Community Hospital.
The Rural Wellington Hospice Working Group retained Lough Barnes Consulting Group to conduct a feasibility study. Medical Assistance in Dying was legalized following a 9–0 Supreme Court decision.
The feasibility study was completed, recommending a six-bed hospice to serve rural Wellington County.
Hospice Wellington, in collaboration with the Rural Wellington Hospice Working Group, commissioned F.J. Galloway Associates to prepare a business plan. Hospice Wellington later deferred moving forward, encouraging the Rural Wellington Hospice Working Group to continue the project independently.
Wellington County donated land on the Aboyne Campus for the construction of a new hospice serving rural Wellington. Fryett Turner Architects Inc. from Elora started a design for the new hospice.
Aboyne Rural Hospice was incorporated and received charitable status. On September 15, the new organization hosted a successful Tent Event to share its plans with the community. Ontario Health West recommended approval of the project to the Ontario Ministry of Health.
The Advisory Committee met monthly to develop plans for the new hospice, including the building project and clinical care. The first Board of Directors was established.
Although the Ontario Ministry of Health approved six hospice beds, the Board of Directors decided to build a ten-bed hospice based on projected community demand.
The first staff members were hired. The land transfer was completed, and the building design and project costing were finalized.
Board and Advisory Committee photography by Misty Blue Photography
A dedicated group of community members formed an Advisory Committee that has been involved in planning the hospice’s design, construction, and upcoming palliative care. On the picture, from left to right: Robert Turner, Sarah Gower, Alan Simpson, Carolyn Skimson, Jeff Ostic, Clarissa Burke, Cory McKay, Angela Hammond, Angela Hall, Ian MacRae, Hilary Blackett, Chris Lund (not pictured: Shelley Lillie).
The Board of Directors and Advisory Committee is collaborating with Guelph and Wellington health care professionals and hospitals, as well as Wellington County, local townships, Hospice Wellington, the Upper Grand Family Health Team, and the Guelph Wellington Ontario Health Team.
Aboyne Rural Hospice
P.O. Box 3004
Elora, Ontario N0B 1S0
E: info@aboyneruralhospice.org
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