Author name: dvhsadmin

by Ken Clarke and Lois Brummet, RN, MSN, CHPCN(c), DVHS Hospice Volunteer For the past few years I have had the privilege in my role with DVHS of lending my voice to advocate for excellence in the delivery of hospice palliative care and end-of-life services right here in our communities in the South Okanagan.  I have […]

by Ken Clarke The following is an excerpt from a talk given at an Volunteer Appreciation event.  I really didn’t know what to expect on the other side of the door; there was for me that moment of anxiousness.  But I had agreed to this volunteer opportunity and the call indicated there was a sense

by Lois Brummet, RN, MSN, CHPCN(c), DVHS Hospice Volunteer How often have we heard “Be careful what you wish for!” A wish for our governments to provide palliative care to all Canadians who need it, wherever in Canada they may live. Wishes will remain dreams unless we take action. What action, how or when or who? We

by Lois Brummet, RN, MSN, CHPCN(c), DVHS Hospice Volunteer and Ken Clarke “It shouldn’t be like this.”  Her words expressed not just disappointment but a level of sadness as she shared with me how upsetting it was to have a roommate in one of our long-term care facilities pass away in the night, all alone.  The

by Ken Clarke To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken.                                                                                                                         C.S. Lewis As human beings we have within us the incredible capacity to love; we were made to love and be loved, to know and be known.  It is this ability to experience love, to

by Ken Clarke Despite recent attempts to move to a more generic, politically correct expression of ‘Happy Holidays’, the words ‘Merry Christmas’ still roll off our tongues with ease and great frequency this time of the year.  It’s an expression of joy, good wishes and good fortune from one person to another. For many, Christmas is