A Ponoka committee is looking into the need for end-of-life care in the community with the goal of spearheading the development of a hospice facility in town.
The Trinity Hospice Committee from Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ponoka is currently trying to assess the need for local palliative care through a survey, which can be found on the church’s Facebook page.
“We are in the initial stages of exploring the need of a hospice,” said committee chairperson Josh Schumacher.
All information collected will be kept secure, anonymous and will not be shared outside of the committee, he said.
We will take the project as far as we are comfortable with and at that point will create a more formal non-profit organization,” said Schumacher.
“We do recognize the enormity of such a project, so community involvement will be crucial to the success of this project.”
The committee was first start in June, 2022, and had their first meeting in August.
“We are a Christian organization, so, death and the question of what happens after is deeply connected to our faith,” he said.
“The fragility of life can be scary for families and individuals when approaching the last moments of life. We want a facility that sees the hope of greater things once one passes away.”
He added the facility would be inclusive to all and would aim to provide quality care and dignity of life to all.
Schumacher said most of the questions in the survey revolve around the understanding of end-of-life care and the experiences in using such services and what the need of such care is the community.
Right now, there is no deadline to respond, however, the more responses the committee receives, they better.
The committee’s next meeting will be on Oct. 17.
Schumacher said they will be looking to the church community for interdenominational support, as well as to the town and other organizations for partnerships.
If you would like the survey link emailed to you, you can contact the committee at trinityhospiceponoka@gmail.com