Hike for Hospice to support community grief programs

Advance care planning is just one service offered by Prince Rupert District Hospice Society (PRDHS), and the inaugural Hike for Hospice is to bring attention to the many programs they offer.

The Hike for Hospice, on May 1, is the first to be held in the city for the organization, though across the country, it is a well-known event held many times before, Joanne Ritchie, program coordinator for the non-profit group, said.

There is no need to register, you can show up on the day, and those wanting to support with pledges for a participant can easily use a QR code for any donation.

The inceptive hike will take three different routes of various distances starting from Mariners Park at 1 p.m. on Sunday to encourage all physical abilities to join in. Ritchie said that people are more than welcome to attend the park just to chat and remember a loved one.

“Just drive on down, come out to Mariners Park and simply just support the community. Support hospice by being there. You don’t have to hike, but if you could hike in remembrance of a loved one, that would be really special,” Ritchie said.

“Hospice is here to help. It’s not just about the passing of a loved one or supporting one person. It’s here to support others, like families, friends and community members,” she said.

As well as fun activities like the hike, PRDHS offers many programs such as advance care planning, Journey Through Grief support group program, monthly grief drop-in sessions, and volunteers to visit and assist those in life’s final stages. A new telephone grief support program was started during the pandemic. Volunteers are also needed, with training provided. The most recent training program starts on April 28.

Hospice offers comfort by filling gaps in compassion and care when a bereaved person feels alone.

“A lot of support is offered by friends and family during the first couple of weeks after a loved one has passed,” Ritchie said. “Life goes for them, but for the grieving, it can stop. For some people, it’s a huge mountain to climb. Until you have lost someone, you don’t know.”

“There is no time limit on grief,” she said and simple things can trigger strong emotions. She provided an example of how her father passed away ten years ago, but in the grocery store recently, she was overcome with emotion by a piece of fruit he would have found hilarious and not being able to share it with him. She said she was in a “tailspin for the rest of the day.”

“Society thinks we should just get on and get over it,” she said. “But for many, it doesn’t happen that way. The enormity of who you have lost can just hit you at any time. At Hospice, we are not going to judge you.”

People react to death in many different ways. Hospice volunteers are available to help work through emotions and that’s where the organization would like to step in.

“[We are here] if anyone needs that extra support, to help with their loved one in their journey through an end of life or disease, or be there afterwards. We are here just to help them sort through their emotions and what they’re feeling because everyone’s grief is different,” the program coordinator said.

“Some people become a puddle … other people become stoic, other people are in a daze. Everyone’s different. There’s no right or wrong way to grieve.”

One program that hospice wants to encourage everyone to focus on is advance care planning. Ritchie said not as many people as is hoped take part in this process.

“People don’t like talking about death,” she said, but talking about it prior to any health concerns, accidents, or issues occurring can ease the burden on loved ones.

Advance care planning is for the time when a person cannot speak for themselves. It can alleviate difficult situations between family members or caregivers because the wishes of the affected person are written down and documented. Hospice provides fully trained volunteers for no cost to meet with people to provide brochures and forms.

“It can be a huge step to get the conversation going. But have the conversation and do it as a family so everyone can be part of the process,” Ritchie said. Hospice staff can sit with anyone and provide a booklet with the forms for filling out.

“By having the advanced care plan and having spoken about it prior, [others] will have an indication of what your plans were and what your hopes were. They will know what your wishes are, and that’s what the most important thing,” Ritchie said.

For anyone wanting to register for programs, volunteer or just want to speak to someone about grief Prince Rupert Hospice’s phone number is 250 622 6204 or email: princeruperthospice@gmail.com