Improving palliative care in Portage

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This article was published 18/11/2019 (2330 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sunset Palliative Care executive director Aldene Moroz is very excited about the new state of the art beds that will be placed in Portage District General Hospital’s palliative care rooms in 2020.

“They call these the Cadillac of palliative care beds,” she said.

The beds extend to seven and a half feet in width and can hold about 1,000 pounds so that they can accommodate another person sitting or lying next to the patient. Moroz said they come with pressure-treated mattresses and make it much easier for nursing staff to turn patients  — both of which help to prevent painful bed sores. The beds are easily adjustable for comfort.

She said she first saw one of the beds displayed at a palliative care conference and knew they would make a huge positive difference in the two palliative care rooms that Sunset now operates within the Portage hospital. However, with a price tag of over $26,000 each, the beds are expensive.

Moroz is happy to say that thanks to donations, the non-profit organization, that celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year, was able to order three beds to equip the current two rooms in the Portage hospital and one scheduled to open in 2020.

The Schindleman family donated $10,000 and the Portage District General Hospital Foundation contributed $50,000. Foundation executive director Tara Pettinger said the funds came from money that had been set aside over the years for palliative care use.

“We’ve had quite a few donations for this room but we could always use more,” Moroz said, adding that some of the recent donations will go towards purchasing the beds.

Moroz said the cost of decorating and equipping a palliative care room in the hospital is approximately $50,000 as everything must meet infection control standards. Each room contains a fridge, microwave, TV and comfortable furniture for families and friends to use as they visit the palliative care patient sometimes on a 24-hour basis.

Between $2,500 and $3,000 is designated in Sunset Palliative Care’s annual budget for repairing and replacing the rooms’ furnishings and other items. The organization applies for grants and holds fundraising events throughout the year. Proceeds from the 13th annual Voices of the Prairie concert on Nov. 16 are being given to Sunset.

Moroz said the current two palliative care rooms are always filled and she expects the third one will be the same. When a new hospital is built in Portage, she said, she hopes that it includes six palliative care rooms and possibly a designated family room to meet the local demand.

For more information about Sunset Palliative Care, see http://www.sunsetpalliativecare.org