June 19, 2019
Teri Donald and Amanda Dreisbach show their support for the Grande Prairie Regional Health Foundation, which provides funding toward the White Rose Program at the QEII Hospital.
Story by Amelia Schofield
GRANDE PRAIRIE — With help from the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation, the White Rose Program continues to support grieving families at the Queen Elizabeth (QEII) Hospital.
Teri Donald, clinical coordinator for the intensive care unit (ICU) at the QEII, brought the White Rose program to Grande Prairie after reading an article on AHS Insite about how Red Deer Regional Hospital ICU adopted it.
Donald says that the White Rose Program creates a more positive end-of-life experience for families grieving the loss of a loved one.
“During the end-of-life phase, we place a white rose sign on the door of the patient room and a lit candle at the nursing station with the intended purpose of providing a visual cue to healthcare providers and visitors so they know that a family on the unit is dealing with an end-of-life situation and to be mindful of conversations and tone,” she says.
To launch the program, Donald enlisted the help of Amanda Dreisbach, clinical coordinator for medicine, Sandra Beida, manager for intensive care, respiratory/EEG and cardiology, and other QEII departments to spread the word.
“I immediately saw the benefit the White Rose Program would have in providing staff with the additional tools and support they need to better care for our patients and their families” says Dreisbach.
Thanks to the support of her colleagues, Donald saw the program accepted and adopted quickly throughout the facility, including the hospital’s attached assisted-living site.
Donald and Dreisbach add that having the foundation as a partner has allowed them to grow the program and magnify its impact on families.
“The community donations have allowed us to design and provide compassion carts for each unit,” says Donald. “Each cart contains refreshments, snacks, personal care products as well as books, coloring and puzzles to make each family members’ stay more comfortable and to minimize time apart due to leaving the room.”
“We also have the ability to create a memento such as a locket or thumbprint charm for a loved one and provide brochures to assist family members with their grief.”
Dreisbach adds: “The Foundation shares on their Facebook page when we are running low on donations and the outpouring of community support received is phenomenal.”
Donald says: “They’ve provided amazing support, promotion and fundraising for the program, and we certainly wouldn’t be able to do what we do without them.”
One Facebook post brought in an incredible number of handmade blankets, Afghans and shawls as well as handmade fleece teddy bears from all around the region and as far away as Cranbrook, BC.
Donald and Dreisbach credit the foundation and its donors for their exceptional support of the White Rose Program and of many other areas of the hospital.
“The community support and foundation’s work is imperative to us being able to purchase specialized equipment and provide programs like the White Rose for palliative care, along with others like our Therapeutic Clown and Bravery Bead programs which support our pediatric population,” says Dreisbach. “It is with the help of programs, such as these, that we are able to make a lasting and heartfelt impact on our patients and families.”
Community generosity makes it all possible, says Donald.
“All of our programs, like the White Rose Program, really have such a big impact for our patients and their families while they are in hospital. It’s an incredible thing to be able to do and we certainly appreciate and value that support.”
Find out more about the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation and how you can show your support for the White Rose program.
