Brooke Leatherman, Kalein Centre (left) with Board Chair Brenda Hooper from GTHS (right).
Following the closure of the Kalein Centre (Nelson), The Greater Trail Hospice Society (GTHS) is taking its Navigator program into the West Kootenay region, delivering more under its umbrella of services and expanding its reach to serve Nelson, Salmo, Nakusp and the Slocan Valley.
The Navigator Program, which has been an active Kalein program since 2019, matches specially trained Hospice Volunteers with clients who are living with a life limiting diagnosis. Each volunteer helps the client “navigate” the medical system, finds resources to keep them connected to their community and walks beside them through their illness.
“We’re pleased to step up in response to the increased need for help, support the West Kootenay Nav-Care program and ensure that the services they’ve been providing through this important community program will be able to continue uninterrupted,” says Brenda Hooper, Chair of The Greater Trail Hospice Society, who developed the Navigator program with UBC Okanagan researcher Dr Barb Pesut.
Under Hooper’s lead, the Trail area was the first to be part of the development of this initiative in 2012, bringing a different type of help to those living in rural areas which are typically underserved in many areas of health care. From its roots in the Trail area, Nav-CARE now stretches across Canada, is starting in six European countries and New Zealand. “We’re very proud to be participating in this very important program,” says Linda, Trail’s Nav-Care Program and Volunteer Coordinator.
Visit http://www.trailhospice.org for more information. To learn more about Nav-CARE, or to volunteer or inquire about receiving services in Trail contact Linda, Nav-CARE Program and Volunteer Coordinator at 250-368-7347 or email: trail.navcare@gmail.com
In Nelson, Salmo, Slocan Valley and Nakusp please go to westkootenaynavcare.org or contact Erin Thompson, the NAV-CARE Program Manager via email: manager@westkootenaynavcare.org or 613-795-2460. In Castlegar, contact Suzanne Lehbauer at 250-304-1266 or via email: Suzanne.Lebhauer@interiorhealth.ca