Dr. Jennifer Webster of Hospice Quinte speaks to Belleville council June 27/2017.(Photo: John Spitters / Quintenews).
Hospice Quinte is hoping Belleville council will be at least as generous as Quinte West council when it
comes to supporting a new residential hospice to serve both cities.
Quinte West has donated seven acres of land across from Bayside Secondary School and offered $1 million toward the creation of a six bed residential hospice.
Tuesday, Dr. Jennifer Webster of Hospice Quinte asked Belleville council to donate $200,000 a year for 10 years toward the $600,000 a year cost of operating such a facility.
Council deferred the request to 2018 budget discussions.
Meanwhile, some on council wondered why there couldn’t be a smaller hospice in Belleville, and another smaller one in Quinte West.
Dr. Webster says operating two separate smaller facilities would cost too much.
The new residential hospice would offer comfortable homelike surroundings for people near the end of their lives, even offering space for pets and a children’s play area. It would be staffed by medical professionals at all times.
The new hospice would cost between two and three million dollars to build and fundraising is now beginning.
The Southeast Local Health Integration Network has approved paying for the cost of the professional staff in the building.
It’s hoped the residential hospice could be up and running sometime in 2019.
The closest residential hospices to Belleville and Quinte West now are in Picton, Madoc, Warkworth, and Bancroft.
