THE LIGHTHOUSE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES NEWSLETTER | NOVEMBER 2020
Pawsitive presence in pediatric palliative care: A first in Quebec
This fall, thanks to a generous financial contribution from pet retailer Mondou, the Mira Foundation provided a service dog to The Lighthouse, Children and Families.

This two-year-old Labernese named Benelux has become the very first dog to be assigned to a pediatric palliative care facility in Quebec. He was selected for his incredible adaptability and gentle temperament needed to interact daily with children suffering from life-threatening illnesses and their families, as well as The Lighthouse staff and volunteers.
Affinerie CCR helps children sleep tight
A donation for the acquisition of new specialized beds
Denis Beaulieu, General Manager, Affinerie CCR, Rhéa Chartrand, orderly, le Phare, Sylvain Lavoie, housekeeping attendant, Le Phare, Adam Mongodin, Associate Executive Director, Le Phare, Camille Péloquin-Legault, nurse, Le Phare
Thanks to the great generosity of Affinerie CCR, The Lighthouse is getting 10 new adapted beds for children receiving pediatric palliative care. 

With this $60,000 donation from the Montréal East factory, The Lighthouse will be able to install more modern and fully adapted beds. “This specialized medical equipment are essential to reduce the risk of falls and help keep children comfortable," says Mélissa Godin, Nurse Manager Health Care Services at The Lighthouse. "The beds are also important in preventing bedsores and infections. We will also add on tents to help children feel safe. Ensuring their safety and comfort is key to ensuring a sense of trust and confidence with parents.”

A portion of CCR’s donation was also put toward The Lighthouse’s emergency fund, set up when the COVID-19 crises started. This initiative has brought in almost $540,000 since the fund was created in March. 

“Located in Montreal East End, The Lighthouse and Affinerie CCR shares the same values of mutual aid and solidarity," says Denis Beaulieu, the organization’s General Manager. "We’re happy to invest in our community by supporting families affected by illness.”
COVID-19 hasn’t stopped The Lighthouse
Shining a light in the storm
Since the pandemic started in March, The Lighthouse’s clinical team has implemented several measures to ensure access to essential palliative care services for children with life-threatening illnesses in a COVID-free environment.

Significant changes were implemented to maintain the tailored approach in providing care to children and compassionate support to isolated families. Partnering with hospitals in order to reduce the demand for hospital beds, The Lighthouse extended its services to include patients aged 18 to 21 from March to June. More services were offered for symptoms management and end-of-life care.

Together despite the distance
To support families remotely, The Lighthouse introduced a telehealth service for healthcare professionals and psychosocial support team. An emergency home-based respite service is provided by workers educated and trained to a high level of infection prevention. Meanwhile, a team of psychosocial specialists is dedicated to supporting families and monitoring emotional distress situations. Virtual visits are now available to families before being transferred to The Lighthouse.

“Our experience also allowed us to support other community organizations to reopen their respite services that had been closed,” says Ariane Parent-Lemay, Clinical Nurse Counsellor, Liaison and Quality Control. “In a spirit of collaboration, we’ve also supported these organizations with prevention and infection control.”
All recommendations from the Public Health Authority were rigorously implemented, including the screening of visitors and body temperature monitoring.

Despite this challenging pandemic circumstances, The Lighthouse’s team has been outstanding in complying with high standards of care and constantly adapting so that the organization may continue to be an essential and trusted partner for families.
Change of address
Please note that the Centre de formation à distance du Phare Enfants et Familles website has a new address.

The address phare-formation.com is no longer effective. Please use lighthouse-education.com to access the Centre's content.

For any questions about the Centre: webmestre@phare-lighthouse.com
Contribute to the Lighthouse’s success and join an innovative and multidisciplinary team that offers all care and services to children requiring pediatric palliative care.
Faites un don
By making a donation, you are helping to ensure that each family receives personalized care and services and, above all, that each child has fun until
the very end!
The generosity, skills and knowledge of the volunteers at the Lighthouse directly contribute to the quality of the services provided to children and their families.