Founded in 1986, West Niagara Palliative Care Services has grown to become Rose Cottage Visiting Volunteers. We are your community hospice & registered charity organization providing free palliative support, to the residents of: Grimsby, Beamsville, Smithville, Vineland, and Jordan.
Rose Cottage Visiting Volunteers are educated & knowledgeable about issues relating to palliative care and bring a compassionate personal touch to the people we serve. Our volunteers are trained through the Hospice Palliative Care Ontario(HPCO) program. The program is comprehensive and includes specific training for life-limiting illnesses like Dementia & Alzheimers. Volunteers are also trained in Home Fire Safety Awareness for Community Hospice Visiting Volunteers provided by the Grimsby Fire Department & Ontario Fire College.
Our services are available free of charge to anyone living with terminal or life threatening illness while at home, hospital, hospice or care facility.
Examples of what the Volunteers have done in the past include:
- Companionship: by providing someone to talk with & doing simple tasks such as reading, writing letters, organizing family photos
- Legacy journal writing: we will transcript and print a personal memoir which could include family history, important stories or cherished memories.
- Drop-In Program: stop by with your loved one and find a therapeutic environment in which participants are free to share their experiences with others.
- Caregiver Support: for individuals who are caregivers to a family member or friend with a long-term health condition and want to learn about managing stress, coping strategies, and finding resources.
- Bereavement Support: for adults & adolescents who are having some difficulty coping with the death of a loved family member or friend. Facilitated by either trained volunteers or professionals and can help connect individuals to bereavement resources.