Welcome to the May edition of the Community Care newsletter! In this issue we start the countdown for Hike for Hospice, share a surprise with one of our volunteer drivers, and much more!



View the newsletter on our website

Hike for Hospice is almost here!

Join us for our annual Hike for Hospice on June 2nd, 2024. The Hike for Hospice will start at our new Community Health Centre located at 21 Angeline St. N. in Lindsay. Check-in opens at 11:00am and Opening Ceremonies are at 1:00pm

Hike for Hospice is an amazing opportunity to come together with friends and family to support and raise much-needed funds for Hospice Services.

If you're unable to attend on the day, a donation can still be made online or by calling us at 705-324-7323.



Come hike with us! Visit www.hikeforhospice.ca to register or donate!

The month of May saw a number of awareness days and weeks meant to highlight the important work that is done to support the health and wellbeing of our community.

Thank you to all the staff and volunteers that show care and compassion in our community every day of every week of every year!

Doctor's Day – May 1



Doctor’s Day is recognized across Ontario to show appreciation for physicians who are working hard to care for patients in their communities. May 1 was recognized by the provincial government in 2011 as the official day of appreciation for Ontario’s doctors. The date was chosen to mark the birthday of Canada's first female physician, Dr. Emily Stowe.

Thank you to all our CCCKL physicians for the care and compassion they provide for our clients! 

National Hospice Palliative Care Week – May 5 - 11



This week is dedicated to recognizing the incredible care provided to individuals and families navigating life-limiting illnesses and grief throughout Canada. Thank you to everyone at Hospice Services for being a source of light for our clients and their families through times of illness, death and bereavement.

National Nursing Week – May 6 – 12



The theme from this year's Nursing Week is "Changing Lives, Shaping Tomorrow" and recognizes the tremendous impact that nurses have on individuals, communities, and the future of health care. Thank you to our CCCKL nurses for all they do to support the health and independence of our clients!

Personal Support Worker Day – May 19

Personal Support Worker Day is an important day to recognize the vital role PSWs play in the lives of patients, clients and caregivers all across our community. A family member of one of our clients took time to send us a beautiful message about the importance our PSWs have for their family.

“I wanted to take a minute to recognize your team for all of their wonderful work in support of my 94 year old Aunt Margaret in Lindsay. Your team of PSW’s are lovely, patient and caring people who take care of my aunt on a daily basis with compassion and expertise.

Our family truly appreciate their efforts in keeping my aunt safe, clean and comfortable. There is one thing I wanted to share with you and your team however and that is the very key word of independence. My aunt’s greatest concern in her life is remaining independent at her current residence. Thanks to all your efforts, she is able to do so and you keep her happy and content with her life and living conditions.

On behalf of my Aunt Margaret and our family…thank you so very much to all of you for your efforts and compassion, it is truly appreciated!”



-Brad, nephew of CCCKL client

Please join us in thanking all our PSWs for the wonderful difference they make in the lives of so many in our community!

Our New Vans Hit the Streets!

Have you seen our new vans around town? We received our first van back on May 5^th and it is wrapped in its new decals and ready to hit the streets! Thanks to funding from Ontario Health East, these vans will be part of our fleet that provides over 12,000+ rides each year to people who use wheelchairs or stretchers.

It just so happened that we were having a volunteer meeting the day we received our first van and saw this as a great opportunity to surprise our volunteer driver, Maureen. Why was she surprised? Her image is featured on the back of our new vans to help encourage others to volunteer with Community Care!

Maureen has been a long-standing volunteer driver with CCCKL and she was over the moon to be featured on our new vans. See her reaction for yourself!

Our transportation services get you to where you need to go! We offer two options: volunteer drivers who use their own vehicles, or specialized transportation drivers who operate wheelchair and stretcher-accessible vans.

Visit www.ccckl.ca/transportation to book your ride today!

On May 15th clients of our Adult Day Program gathered in Bobcaygeon for a Spring Tea. The event brought all our ADP clients together to socialize over some tea and lunch. Attendees were joined by their caregivers in the afternoon and were treated to live music from Dig the Moon, a local band that our ADP clients love! 

We offer Adult Day Programs in Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls and Lindsay, and this was a wonderful opportunity to bring our clients together from across all our sites for a day of good food, games, music and fun. 

Thank you to everyone that helped make the day a tremendous success!

Visit our website or call us at 705-324-7323 to learn more about signing up for our Adult Day Program.

On Friday May 17th a group of our Hospice volunteers attended a Cultural Sensitivity Training around Indigenous Practices in Grief and Palliative Care. Former Nurse Navigator Carol Knott shared her learning around the significance of smudging for First Nations members and also explained the history of the sacred fire after the death of a community member. She shared that elders, who are the Keepers of the Sacred Fire, are honoured in the community and how they contribute to the four day long fire which allows family and friends of the deceased to mourn in a respectful and culturally significant manner. 

We learned about the traditional medicines such as sage, sweet grass, cedar and tobacco and how they are to be respected as gifts from the Creator. She introduced us to the significance of the directions - north, south, east and west. For Hospice, the western door was significant as this is where the spirit exits the earthly realm. 

Carol invited our volunteers to attend a powwow and explained to our members that it is a social event which honours tradition and the importance of community. Powwows are a place to sing, dance, socialize and honour culture. 

It was a wonderful time of learning for our volunteers. We appreciated Carol’s knowledge and gentle teachings about our Indigenous neighbours.

During Mental Health Awareness Week (May 6 – 12), Community Care City of Kawartha Lakes Hospice Services participated in two community events highlighting the need for grief resources for those struggling with mental health. On May 7th, over 215 students at I.E. Weldon Secondary School visited our Hospice booth for information and conversation. Hospice Bereavement Coordinator Joy Cross and Hospice Grief Guide Robyn McNabb shared their knowledge with the students and validated that grief is a normal and natural response to a death.

On May 15th Robyn McNabb joined Hospice Bereavement Coordinator Janice Craig at the Ross Memorial Hospital Wellness Fair. The conversations were meaningful and many topics were discussed, such as how grief mimics depression. Hospice representatives also shared how small children do not necessarily understand the terms ‘passed’ and ‘passed away’. To a child’s understanding, you pass a swimming test, you pass from grade one to grade two; you pass a car on the highway. The impression is that you return or come back when you ‘pass on’. It is far more helpful to use the terms ‘dead’ and ‘died’ with children. 

It was gratifying to partner again with RMH for the opportunity to present our grief services alongside other community members such as CMHA, CHIMO and Women’s Resources.

Presented in partnership with Hospice Peterborough, the What Now? podcast series is presented by palliative and bereavement health care professionals Julie Brown, Red Keating and David Kennedy.

Dying is one of the few experiences we will all share, yet little is done in our culture to prepare us for this inevitability and its resulting bereavement and grief. Drawing on their vast knowledge and experience, each episode is a conversation meant to enlighten and demystify the often difficult and emotional experiences of dying, death and bereavement.

Check out the latest podcast and previous episodes here:

Want to join Hollie, Candy and Adam and work for Community Care? Visit our website to see our current job openings and apply today!

We're hiring! A job with Community Care offers an opportunity for you to make a difference in your community.

We are looking for Personal Support Workers to join our team. PSWs support, encourage and provide independence for patients in their homes and community settings by assisting with activities of daily living. The work of the Personal Support Worker supports independence, well-being and community connections to services.

We are also looking for a Personal Support Services Supervisor to contribute to the PSS supervision team for Supportive Housing Services, Assisted Living for High Risk Seniors, In-Home Respite, and other PSS programs as required.

We’re also looking for an Adult Day Program Assistant. The ADP Assistant will ensure the effective operation of adult programs, provide respite to caregivers, and help to and provide independence for clients with special needs by assisting with the coordination and organization of appropriate activities.

We also have a number of other roles available, including:

• Summer Students in Hospice, HR, Finance and Wellness/CHC.
• Clinical Coach
• Fund Development Coordinator

Visit www.ccckl.ca/careers to see all our current job openings and apply.

Check out our upcoming events and wellness programs below!

Diners Club

• Lindsay
• Fenelon Falls
• Burnt River
• Bethany

Community Based Exercise Classes

• Lindsay

SAGES

• Kirkfield
• Burnt River
• Fenelon Falls

Nordic Pole Walking

• Lindsay and Bobcaygeon

Pickleball

• Bobcaygeon

Riverwalk

• Lindsay

Starts June 6th