Two natives of Grosse Ile, one of two small English speaking communities on the Magdalen Islands (a small 8-island archipelago belonging to Quebec that sits roughly halfway between Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island), feel strongly that family and community ties are essential to the survival of their close knit community.
Both Kim Clark and Kerry Dickson point to the availability of excellent home care resources through their local CLSC de l鈥橢st (Quebec community health centres) as crucial services that enabled their parents to stay home at the end of their lives and just as importantly, allowed them to accompany their parents until their death. The picture opposite shows Kim鈥檚 father Byron and Kerry鈥檚 mother Irene.
With a population of about 400 (most are descendants of Irish and Scottish immigrants, and some can trace their heritage to shipwrecks or smallpox and cholera quarantines in the 1800s), Grosse Ile boasts one restaurant, one gas station, a depanneur and a combination primary and secondary school with a total of 36 pupils. Everybody knows everybody in Grosse Ile.
Kim Clark鈥檚 father, Byron Clark, was no exception. Byron was a larger-than-life character, not just in the town of Grosse Ile but throughout the Magdalen Islands. In addition to a 30-year career as a fishing officer, he founded and managed the Cap Dauphin Fisherman鈥檚 Cooperative, played the organ at Holy Trinity Church, served as Mayor, and owned and managed the only cinema in town. Described as a community-builder and self-taught history buff, he collected photographs and historical documents covering life in the Magdalen Islands from 1793 to 1900.
An authority on the islands, he authored eight books on local history and earned an award from the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network in 2006. Byron Clark鈥檚 book 鈥淭he Pictou-Magdalen Islands Run鈥� is a fascinating history of the ships that crossed between Pictou Nova Scotia and the Magdalen Islands archipelago in the years 1874-1960.听
After his diagnosis with an aggressive form of lung cancer, Byron Clark chose to stay at home for as long as possible. According to his daughter Kim, this was possible because of the home care he received from the CLSC team (physician, nurses, respiratory therapist) for the 4 months until his death. Kim, a full time teacher and only child, switched to part-time work and moved into her father鈥檚 house to look after him with the help of her husband. Homecare nurses came regularly (once a week), more often as needed (i.e., 4 times in one day to manage the complications of pneumonia), and daily for the last period of her father鈥檚 life. Byron never had to be taken to hospital. And for Kim, the relationship with the homecare nurses evolved from a nurse-client relationship into friendship.
鈥淲ithout the support of the homecare nurses, my father could not have died at home. The care that he got was phenomenal. Whenever I felt there was a problem I would contact one of the homecare nurses, Lancy or Lysanne. They were wonderful. We had access to the homecare CLSC nurses and the homecare doctor.鈥�
Kerry Dickson made a promise to keep his mother, Irene Dickson, in her home until the end. With the help of a caregiver subsidized by the local CLSC, as well as the home care team who visited as required, Kerry kept his promise. The caregiver stayed with Kerry鈥檚 mother on weekdays during the day so Kerry could continue working in his hairdressing salon. Kerry stayed with his mother overnight and on weekends.
鈥淗aving a caregiver made life so much easier. I was able to work and maintain parts of my life. Our caregiver was very responsible and mom liked her so we were very lucky鈥� The homecare team were very, very good. My mom liked them all.. One of the nurses would come in and say, 鈥淚rene, it鈥檚 your favourite nurse here!鈥� They always made it uplifting. It鈥檚 a small island- you either know them or know of them, or their aunts or uncles, so maybe that鈥檚 what makes it a more caring place.鈥�
Kerry was able to work right up until the last few days his mother was alive. Kerry and their caregiver, Valerie, accompanied Irene until her death.
鈥淥ur caregiver Valerie was with us when my mother died. In the last few days Mom had problems with her breathing so Valerie would sit on the bed and put a pillow in front of her and lay mom back on the pillow so she could breathe better. That is how she died, in Valerie鈥檚鈥� arms, and I was holding her hand talking with her. That鈥檚 how it was the last few days. I would come from work and I would hold her hand and tell her all the stories from my work like I always did after dinner. She couldn鈥檛 speak at that point but she would squeeze my hand. If had to do I all over again, I would.鈥�
Just like Byron Clark, Irene Dickson was well known and well liked in Grosse Ile. Irene by all accounts was a hard-working and very capable person who could turn her hand to just about anything. She started as a school teacher in a one-room school, raised six children, ran a farm and various businesses, and was active in her church and her community her whole life, hosting ladies鈥� luncheons and heading up local concerts for charity. Described as 鈥渃rafty鈥� she turned out quilts, needlepoints and hooked rugs that decorate many homes on the Islands.
After Kerry鈥檚 mother died, his niece took his mother鈥檚 night dresses and made a colourful quilt in her memory.
Both Kim and Kerry agree that homecare made it possible to keep their loved ones at home and that if faced with a similar situation, they would chose the same path because the gift to die at home is a gift of love.
鈥淭he homecare doctor put it best when he said, 鈥楾he gift to stay at home and to die at home with his loved ones surrounding him is the most loving gift you could give鈥�. So if I had to do I all over again, I would do it in a heartbeat.鈥�
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