Hospice Niagara opens new facility in Welland to begin meeting local demand

Hospice Niagara unveiled a new facility in Welland Thursday, where they aim to change how end-of-care is done, and lay the foundation to meet local demand.

Local residents and businesses have been doing the heavy lifting in expanding the Niagara region’s palliative care services, during a time where many face healthcare obstacles.

It was a brief celebration during the ribbon cut, but also a moment of progress for those in need of dignified care at the end of their life.

The Maison Walker | Walker House in Welland is Niagara’s newest hospice.

“People here across the region are waiting for hospice care at any given time,” said Carol Nagy, the Executive Director of Hospice Niagara.

Hospice Niagara is operating the new 10-bed facility, which is located beneath the Foyer Richelieu long-term care home.

The $12 million building presents a different layout, with more home-like features, communal spaces, and rooms dedicated for specialized services for families and their loved ones during end-of-life care and bereavement.

As for its future residents, they’ll be admitted through a referral from a healthcare provider.

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Hospice Niagara believes the opening of Walker House puts the Niagara region on the path to meet the hospice needs there.

They say there are roughly 500 people waiting for this quality of care.

“It was a long time coming, “said Nagy. “We started planning in 2019 when we realized that no matter how many people we accepted at the 10 beds at the Stabler Centre (in St. Catharines), we weren’t really getting ahead of that 500 number.”

Currently in Niagara, the Stabler Centre hospice in St. Catharines is operating, while a third 10-bed facility is ready to break ground in Fort Erie beside the Gilmore Lodge long-term care home.

Nagy said the construction for a fourth hospice in Niagara Falls was approved, and adds that 40 beds should meet local demand.

In a region that sees funding obstacles in healthcare, hospices are built through mostly charitable donations from residents and businesses, including one with his family name donning the Welland care centre.

“We’ve been lucky enough to be a successful business for many generations, and we want to give back to the communities we’re in,” said Geordie Walker, the CEO of Walker Industries who donated $1.5 million to Hospice Niagara. “Having a healthy Niagara is very important.”

Hospice Niagara said to help get the shovels in the ground and construction completed, a $4 million grant had to come from Ontario’s Ministry of Health.

CHCH News reached out to the health minister’s office, asking how many hospice beds are available in Ontario, and if they plan to increase grant money for more facilities, but have yet to hear back.

Hospice Niagara says Walker House will welcome its first guest next week.

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