By Cheryl Jahn

Hospice wants to help COVID survivors

Feb 5, 2021 | 2:52 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Hospice House is reaching out to the thousands of people who have survived COVID in Northern BC.

“We know that not all people fully recover. Those that have been in ICU or suffered severe illness are now facing a life-altering disease. People continue to be fatigued and develop lung, heart problems, or other organ issues.”

“So you can imagine that you’ve just come through an illness that could have been life-ending, you’re by yourself and you’re just never the same,” says Donna Flood, Executive Director for Hospice House. “You can’t go back to work, you can’t do any of the things you used to. And you don’t know if you’re going to get worse or better.”

But most people associate Hospice care with palliative or end-of-life care. Not at all, says Denise Torgerson, Manager of Community Programs.

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“We do a lot of work in the community long before people come to Hospice. And we do a lot of work in the community afterwards, you know, community support. Grief support has always been a huge part of what Hospice does, right from the beginning.”

Hospice is hoping those who are feeling the trauma of isolation or even the stigma associated with contracting the virus to reach out. And Hospice is casting the net wide, reaching out to all of those survivors in Northern BC.

“People coming in and being able to tell their story if they choose to come in alone. We have the capacity for that. So, one-on-one,” says Torgerson. “And, wouldn’t it be nice if people came together in a group? Because it’s magical.”

Torgerson says her biggest worry is that the voices of the “survivors” of COVID will get lost in the noise and are left to deal with the trauma alone.