If you are experiencing and illnesses due to cancer or other acute disease?
Are you are suffering grief due to the loss of a loved one?
Are you the caregiver and assisting a person with a terminal illness?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then you may benefit from participating in Therapeutic Relaxation Skills offered by the Campbell River Hospice Society.
Participants are guided through a 45 minute deep relaxation session.
“It is learning by doing” says Diane Davies, Pacific Therapy & Consulting. “Specific, well known relaxation skills are used to help the body and mind cope with physical side effects of medication, as well as moderate the roller coaster and emotional ride of an illness.”
Each Wednesday from 3:30-4:30 p.m, the Campbell River Hospice Society will be offering this free program at their office.
A program, which assisted cancer clients with the physical and the emotional side effects of treatments, had been offered for years in the Victoria area through the BC Cancer Agency. When therapist Kate Witzel, from the Courtenay area, experienced the program for her own treatments, she decided that this service was necessary on the North Island. She, along with Diane Davies, embarked on a quest to accomplish just that. Through funding from the BC Cancer Agency they were successful in initiating the first of these programs outside of the main cancer agencies in Courtenay.
Campbell Riverite, Elizabeth Simundson attended a session in Courtenay and felt that there was enough demand to bring the program to Campbell River as well. And the Therapeutic Relaxation Program in Campbell River was born.
As a Hospice Volunteer, Simundson facilitated the program out of the Hospice office until her own death from cancer in 2009.
“It’s really meaningful to me that making sure the program continued was something that Elizabeth thought about, even as she was very close to the end of her own life,” says Diane Davies. “I have facilitated the program in Courtenay since its beginning, and have filled in for Elizabeth in Campbell River when her own health became compromised. I got a phone call just after Elizabeth died from her sister, saying that Elizabeth had asked that I please continue the programs after her death. I of course have done just that.”
However, since that time, changes to the funding for this program have occurred. The BC Cancer Agency has now decided to only operate these programs within their agencies. Campbell River Hospice Society felt that the program was indeed necessary for the well-being of the members of their community and will continue to fund and support Simundson’s legacy by providing the program, facilitated by Davies, Pacific Therapy & Consulting and Coulette Ordano, of Healing Palms
“The program really fits with our mandate,” says Iona Wharton, Director of Programs & Services for the Campbell River Hospice Society. “We will continue to offer this program at a new time on Wednesdays for those who are experiencing illnesses due to cancer or other acute disease, as well as for grief clients and caregivers. We really want to recognize the role that the caregivers have during illnesses, and wish to support them.”
For more information, visit our website: www.crhospice.org or contact the Campbell River Hospice Society at 250-286-1121 or drop by their office at #104, 301 Dogwood Street.