Hospice Windsor Essex announces opening of additional patient beds

A new patient room at the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County: (Source: Hospice of Windsor and Essex County)

Additional funding has led to the opening of three additional patient beds at the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County, the organization announced on Thursday.

According to a press release, the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County announced on Thursday the addition of three new patient suites, increasing the total number of hospice beds to 23.

In November of 2022 the Ministry of Health informed the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County that their organization had been selected for 18 months of additional temporary funding under the A Plan to Stay Open initiative, “with a focus on health system stability and recovery.”

“As a not-for-profit healthcare organization, the goal was to move quickly to meet patient needs, while remaining mindful of cost,” said Nancy Brockenshire, hospice executive director.

Late last year, the hospice reviewed their residences and available space and began to repurpose existing spaces in order to create additional patient rooms at both the Windsor and Erie Shore Residences.

Two of the family rooms in Windsor were transformed into patient suites and in Erie Shores one family room was also updated into a patient suite.

“These additional rooms will help us care for more patients and families in our community, while also supporting our healthcare system as a whole,” said Brockenshire. “By moving patients out of emergency departments and hospitals, and into an environment that suits their healthcare needs, these beds will also play a small part in relieving pressures on our healthcare system.”

All of the residential beds — both existing and the three new temporary ones — are funded 50 per cent through government support and the remaining 50 per cent through donations.

The funding of the new beds is temporary, but Brockenshire hopes that by demonstrating the need for the patient beds the funding could become permanent.

“Upon opening these beds, they were filled immediately,” said Brockenshire. “By adding these rooms, it means our hospice can provide memorable care to more than 120 additional local patients and families over the next 18 months, we would love for that to continue into the future.”