‘This is a very different type of volunteering’

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Published on Thursday, October 13, 2016

By Tony Eu

Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

Palliative care - many of us have heard of it, some of us have had experiences with it, but what exactly is it?

“Palliative care is a process where people look after people who are dying from a terminal disease that cannot be cured,” answers Mary Ellen Clarke, the coordinator for Neepawa’s palliative care volunteer program. “Our program helps provide support to an individual who is dying and their family,” Clarke added.

“We have volunteers who sit with a dying person. It’s free of charge and we will sit around the clock, 24 hours, at the hospital, Neepawa Health Centre, as well as Country Meadows and in [the] community, if someone has chosen to have a death at home,” she explained.

Right now, the program is looking for more volunteers. However, volunteering as part of palliative care is very different from other volunteering. “Lots of people like to volunteer, but this is a different type of volunteering,” Clarke stressed. “When you’re actually sitting at someone’s bedside who is passing, that’s a different volunteer job than volunteering at the rink or at bingo or anything else in community. This is a very, very different type of volunteering.”

Because it’s such a different type of volunteer activity, would-be volunteers have to take a training course to learn about death and dying. Coming up very soon is one such course, being offered out of Brandon. Clarke and the rest of the program members are, encouraging people who are interested in palliative care to take this training program.

Clarke remarked that, “We really encourage men to become involved as well, because when men are dying, it would be nice to have a gentleman sit with them, not just a female.” She also noted that of the 15 to 18 volunteers they have, a number of the ladies have been a part of it since the start of the program in 1998.

The training course costs $35 and runs Monday evening from 6:30 pm to 9 pm for seven weeks, starting on Oct. 24. The course will teach individuals how to deal with death and how to comfort and support the individual dying, as well as their family.

Volunteers are of paramount importance to the operation of Neepawa Palliative Care, as well as nearly all palliative care programs. “We have no government funding at all,” Clarke explained, “We have to raise our own money. As such, we have regional coordinators who are now working three-quarter time instead of full time.”

While they receive no funding from the government, the program does work under the regional health authority. “A lot of people do give donations in memory of a loved one when they pass away and usually it’s because we have provided quality care to their loved one and to them when their loved one is passing,” Clarke mentioned. Despite this, the program is still always looking for more ways to get the funding they need to keep providing this service.

Thinking of taking the program but not sure you could make every single night? No problem, Clarke said that most people could probably catch up on the reading they would miss if they couldn’t attend a night.

The Neepawa Palliative Care program provides care for individuals “within an easy driving distance if they were to die at home, but otherwise, the hospital, the care home and in [Neepawa], but we would go out a 10 to 15 minute drive.”

As far as who is eligible within that area, Clarke said, “Anyone can be referred to the palliative care program by a family member, a friend or a neighbor if they see a need and feel someone needs extra supports.” She adds, “Our volunteer program works very, very closely with home care. Usually if someone is in the home and is terminal, before they have a chance to be in hospital or not, homecare goes in first. Then we’re the next circle that sits around homecare to help provide extra supports.”

For more information on palliative care and volunteering, contact Mary Ellen Clarke. She can be reached at 204-476-7821, on her cell at 204-476-6077, or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

For more information on the program or to register, call 204-727-1745 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.