Volunteers brighten P.E.I. palliative care patients' days with bouquets

Local volunteers are giving fellow Prince Edward Islanders a memory they won't forget at a time when they need it the most.

Every week, Hospice P.E.I. volunteers arrange flowers to deliver to people being treated at the Provincial Palliative Care Centre in Charlottetown. Island Meadow Farms provides the flowers in the summer months and Hearts & Flowers provides them the rest of the year. 

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Each room in the 10-bedroom facility gets a bouquet, usually placed in a vase by the window sill.

Those receiving the flowers have all been diagnosed with severe illnesses such as cancer that have been deemed to be terminal. Usually, they have less than six months to live.

"This can be a pretty challenging time for some people," said Sami Chaisson, Hospice P.E.I.'s service co-ordinator for Queens County.

"Some people, you know, they've accepted. [For] other people it's still hard, and it's really hard for families. So it's nice to put something in the room that just gives them a smile — something to brighten their day, something to kind of look forward to."

Samantha Hopkins, the provincial palliative care manager, said the flowers are a way to show families their loved ones are being cared for just as they would be at home.

"It builds a rapport and a relationship with the patient," she said. "It allows them to have interactive conversations, and just brightens up their spirits."

'A bouquet of happiness'

The volunteers make the rounds regularly, replacing flowers past their prime in every room and having conversations with the residents while they're at it.

"They set the tone — whether it's going to be a quiet, just-sit-there [visit] ... or we could be having a great conversation about the old days, or just whatever they feel," Linda Beaton said of the rooms' occupants.

She says the flowers are "just like a bouquet of happiness."

Aggie Campbell has been doing this for about eight years.

"You do get connected to the residents. Every day that I come in, I say a little prayer: If I can put a smile on someone's face or make a difference in their day, let it be," Campbell said.

"I really enjoy it. I love listening to their stories. I love getting to know who they are and trying to hold hands and bring them a little bit of a homemade touch."

Chaisson said anyone who's interested in volunteering should reach out to Hospice P.E.I.

"It's usually the little things that I find have the biggest impact, especially with this kind of group," she said.

"The flowers, the sitting here, the conversation, the bridge game, the crib game, the walk along the path. It's the little things that add up at the end of the day."