ALBERTON
Two projects which are being meshed into one at Western Hospital are expected to provide for improved services in its hemodialysis unit and its palliative care program.
The provincial government announced in June that it is committing $500,000 to upgrade the hemodialysis unit at Western Hospital.
Cheryl Banks, director of the provincial renal program, said design and infrastructure planning for the project is almost completed. She said work is likely to start this fall and be completed by early 2019.
The planning process identified the hospital’s underutilized palliative care wing as an ideal location for an upgraded hemodialysis unit.
Banks explained the hospital still provides palliative care but usually within the acute care wing rather than in the designated area. She said the space, well removed from the nursing station, made the palliative care area difficult to staff.
Space will be renovated near the nurses station to enhance the palliative care service for patients and families.
David McKenna, president of the Western Hospital Foundation, gives the renovation plans the Foundation’s nod of approval.
He’s especially pleased with the palliative care unit’s relocation. “As it is now, there needs to be a family member or hospice volunteer there 24/7,” he explained. As a work-around, though, when family members or hospice volunteers were not able to be present, palliative care patients have been cared for in space near the nurses’ station instead of in the designated unit.
Foundation member Krystyna Pottier, said the foundation has been involved in planning for the changeover, advising on things like soothing paint schemes and availability of such things as a coffee-maker.
“As a Foundation, we’re very pleased with the move. It’s going to make a difference,” Pottier commented. “It re-enforces for the community that the unit is there for their use. This will only make it better.”
By taking over the current Palliative Care unit space and turning it into a hemodialysis unit, Banks said dialysis patients will be able to continue receiving dialysis in their current location until renovations are complete and then seamlessly transfer over to the new unit across the hall.
“That’s the beauty with what we have set out here: By not having to move our patients, our patients won’t be travelling during this. The construction will happen on the other side. When construction is completed, we’ll simply move our patients over and hand over our two semi-privates back to Western Hospital to do what they feel is most suitable.”
Key components to the dialysis unit changes will be a new state-of the-art water filtration system, more privacy, and space for additional chairs for dialysis patients.
The current unit has four chairs, capable of serving four patients in the morning and four in the afternoon every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The new space will have room for six chairs, with those two additional chairs being added as needed. Banks said the unit is currently serving seven dialysis patients but, the enhancements will allow for up to 12 patients to be seen every week. “From what we see, that should more than meet the need,” she said.
Banks said there is no issue with the current water filtration system but they plan to replace it with the same type of system that is used in Summerside, Charlottetown and Souris units. “We are going to be proactive and replace that system before we have issues,” she said.
Banks said the palliative care and dialysis projects will occur simultaneously.
“We don’t want to do something in dialysis that’s going to impede (Western’s) ability to provide palliative care. So, this was a good compromise for all, and it is going to be a win-win for the patients of West Prince,” Banks summarized.
