Your Gift in Action

Donations to Brock Fahrni Pavilion have not only supported the ongoing needs for medical equipment, ranging from pressure relief mattresses to oxygen concentrators and bathing systems, but also helped establish the first geriatric dentistry program offering on-site dental services for residents. Donations have also been instrumental in creating a more homelike environment for residents. Through purchases of a wide variety of “comfort items” such as window coverings, bed linens and privacy curtains, as well as fish tank and room renovations, residents are able to enjoy a warm, welcoming environment.

Enhancing quality of like in residential care is important for those who make this site their home. Gifts to the Foundation support regular entertainment for residents including musical programs and social events, gardening and artworks activities, and frequent outings to favorite spots around Vancouver using the Brock Fahrni bus, also purchased through the generosity of donors.

Holy Family Hospital is a special place for those recovering from a stroke or lower limb amputation, and for those who call Holy Family Residence their home.

Community support has been strong for the hospital’s physical rehabilitation unit. Dedicated fundraising campaigns helped establish “Easy Street”, a simulated community in which patients can practice skills to regain their mobility and independence in real-life environments. A hydrotherapy pool and expanded outpatient rehabilitation services area were also made possible through community support.

In the facility’s extended care unit, gifts to the hospital support programs that enhance quality of life for residents, such as gardening programs and musical entertainment. They also support the ongoing need for medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators that offer relief for those experiencing difficulty breathing, and pressure relief mattresses that provide respite from wounds that may occur as a result of being bed ridden.

In September 2006, construction crews began breaking ground at 33rd Avenue and Heather Street in Vancouver to make way for the new St. Vincent’s Campus of Care.

Sixty subsidized assisted living units are currently under construction on the former St. Vincent’s Hospital site, as well as eight independent apartments for young disabled adults.  The units will be self-contained one-bedroom apartments, supported by common activity areas, and a 24-hour emergency response system.

Tapestry Foundation is the first non-government agency to come forward and support this project with $1.5 million designated for the first phase of construction.

For more information about the Campus of Care project, visit the Providence Health Care website (insert link) http://www.providencehealthcare.org/legacy_renewal_plans.html

For inquiries regarding access to subsidized units, visit the Vancouver Coastal Health website at www.vch.ca/assisted, or contact your nearest Community Health Centre and ask to speak to a case worker.

Marion Hospice opened in 2005 in response to a critical shortage of hospice care beds in Vancouver. Through a significant grant from BC Hydro’s HYDRECS program (Hydro Employee’s Community Services), Tapestry Foundation has been able to transform this space from a sterile hospital environment to a warm, peaceful environment respectful of end of life care. Extensive lighting and flooring renovations, as well as purchases of a range of furnishings have all helped create a homelike atmosphere that supports the physical, emotional and spiritual well being of patients and their families.

Donations to Mount Saint Hospital (MSJ) are used to help save lives of those needing acute medical attention, and to improve the lives of residents living in the hospital’s extended care unit.

“Improvements to our newly renovated and updated Intensive Care Unit and the ongoing purchase of medical equipment are most appreciated by patients and staff”, says Dan Fitch, Mount Saint Joseph Hospital Site Leader.  “Thanks to the generosity of the community the hospital has been able to continually enhance the services it provides.” In 2007, Tapestry Foundation has disbursed more than $900,000 for equipment purchases ranging from cardiac monitors for the Emergency and ICU Departments, to specialty microscopes used in delicate eye surgery.  

The spiritual needs of patients, residents and visitors at MSJ are also supported through designated funds raised for the hospital’s chapel. The chapel was recently refreshed with new paint and redecorated offering an updated and inspiring environment for those who wish to worship there.

The Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception, founders of St. Vincent’s Hospital, were approached by the BC government to build and operate a facility now known as St. Vincent’s Hospital Langara. They were delighted to discover a wealth of community support was available to assist with this project.

Since 1991 donations have played a significant role in the development of this site. The facility boasts an open sunny atrium area, spectacular chapel with stained glass window and lots of outside garden space. Throughout the years on-going gifts to this site have resulted in countless purchases and enhancements to the site, including: medical equipment, the creation of a specialized on-site geriatric dentistry unit, construction of a spacious Sun Room that offers residents and family members a quiet space in which to visit, the establishment of two private palliative care suites, and installation of a tranquility garden.

A top priority for Tapestry Foundation is supporting programs and services that sustain quality of life for residents.  Music recitals, entertainment, family events such as Grandparents Day, and outings to favourite spots around in Vancouver on a site bus funded through the Foundation, have all been made possible for residents through the generosity of donors. 

Donor loyalty to residents has helped maintain numerous quality of life initiatives at Youville Residence. From music therapy programs and bus outings around the city, to the celebration of special masses in the quaint Youville Residence Chapel, residents benefit daily from the generosity of donors within the community. 

A recent noteworthy enhancement to the site has been a major renovation project in the site’s lobby area. The creation of a “hearth” showcasing a stunning double-sided fireplace and cozy furniture has transformed the entrance to this site and created a welcoming space for residents to relax and visit. This project was made possible through a generous bequest specially designated to Youville Residence. 

It was seed funding from the Foundation in the mid 1990’s that helped establish the Centre for Healthy Aging at Providence. The Centre is dedicated to bringing about effective and evidence-based change in health care for BC’s seniors and to improving their quality of life.

The Foundation has helped fund a number of prominent research project through the Centre. Noteworthy is the development of the Geriatric Dentistry Program that set in place guidelines and standards for specialized dental care for seniors in residential care settings throughout Canada. This program is the first of its kind won the 2005 BC Medical Association’s Excellence in Health Promotion Award. Through the program, on-site dental care units have been set up at St. Brock Fahrni Pavilion, St. Vincent’s Hospital Langara and Youville Residence, and bedside dental care has been made available to residents in the extended care units at Holy Family and Mount Saint Joseph Hospitals. 

Other research projects undertaken by the Centre and funded through thegenerosity of Foundation donors include studies on the prevalence of low-vision seniors living in residential care; the care of seniors living with dementia; and “seniors at risk” which looks at the challenges faced by seniors who taking multiple prescription medications.