Cart brings comfort to families at Rockyview hospital

CALGARY — The Comfort Cart Program is now rolling through the halls at Rockyview General Hospital (RGH), bringing emotional support to families seeking care for their child.

Comfort Carts move between patient units with an assortment of items intended to help make time in hospital easier for families. Comfort items include snacks, coffee, reading materials, activity books and hygiene items, such as toothbrushes.

“The carts are more than supplies or distractions. They create an opportunity to connect with our patients’ families when support is needed most,” says Pauline Rabi, Patient Care Manager for RGH’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), one of the areas visited by Comfort Cart volunteers. “Volunteers who circulate the carts engage with NICU patients’ families, help brighten their day, and remind them they are not alone in their NICU journey.”

“A Comfort Cart shows families that they are supported in a variety of ways, not limited to their medical needs,” says Natasha Tiemstra, Chief Operating Officer, Ronald McDonald House Alberta (RMHA). “(The slogan) ‘Coffee, Comfort, Conversation’ is visible on the Comfort Cart, showing families that we (RMHA and AHS) understand even small gestures can change the trajectory of a medical day for a family.”

The Comfort Cart is a program started through RMHA in 2018. Comfort Carts are also available at the Foothills Medical Centre and Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary, the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre, and Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge.

The cart began circulating at RGH on Oct. 21 and will be making rounds on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Additional support is always welcome, and those interested in volunteering are encouraged to visit ahs.ca/volunteers to register.

Ronald McDonald House Alberta helps keep families together when they need it most. The organization has accommodations in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer and Medicine Hat which provide a home-away-from-home to over 1,800 families each year who must travel for their child’s vital medical treatment. By enabling families to stay together, near a hospital, Ronald McDonald House vastly improves the quality and experience of the care of the child and the well-being of the family, while reducing the family’s stress, sense of isolation, and financial burden.

Alberta Health Services provides a range of healthcare services for more than five million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide excellent, patient-focused healthcare that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.