Bobby’s Hospice holds open house to mark 15 years in Saint John

It was a milestone weekend for Atlantic Canada’s first end-of-life care centre.

Bobby’s Hospice in Saint John, N.B., celebrated its 15th anniversary Saturday, 15 years to the day it welcomed its first patient in 2010.

The ten-bed, 24/7 care centre offers patients with advanced, terminal illnesses and their families a safe and comfortable setting to continue receiving care during their final days.

“We’ve grown a lot over the years,” says Bobby’s Hospice Medical Director, Chris O’Brien, who was been working at the facility since day one. “We now have a recreational therapist part time for some distraction while people are here for longer journeys.”

“We have a pet therapist, music therapy, all kinds of things to help people relax and distract them sometimes from the reality they’re going through.”

To mark the anniversary Bobby’s Hospice held an open house Saturday. O’Brien says the day was filled with lots of memories shared by families who had loved ones staying with them in the past who stopped by to talk about their time at the facility.

The hospice held the open house to allow community members to engage with hospice staff and learn more about the work they do on the city’s lower west side.

“The reality is hospices aren’t everywhere, and I think our general public likes a little education,” O’Brien says. “We’ve had a number come through today that have loved ones that are quite ill and thinking about this place and want to tour through.”

Hospice care is different from hospital care. O’Brien said each of the ten beds at the facility is in its own private room that includes a window and bathroom. He says the privacy is a critical element during the final stages of life.

“It hasn’t got the buzz and the bells and all the noises that happen in a hospital,” O’Brien says. “Because here at end of life, you’re not looking at life sustaining therapies… the focus would be comfort.”

O’Brien says the community has been supportive of Bobby’s Hospice ever since the idea for the facility first came about.

Bobby’s Hospice hosts fundraising events through the year, including it’s annual gala, hosted at the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre but it mainly operates through government funding.

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