Hospice House
Ever wondered what a Hospice House is—or why our community needs one?
This video showcases the kind of warm, supportive facility we hope to build in the Cranbrook area.
Early in 2025, CKHS Chair George Watson and his wife, Judi, visited Cowichan Hospice House on the coast. The wonderful staff at Cowichan Hospice were gracious enough to let them capture photos during their visit. We compiled those pictures into this video to share our vision with all of you!
A huge thank-you to Cowichan Hospice House for opening their doors and inspiring our journey
We are excited to announce plans for a standalone 10-bed hospice house in the Cranbrook Kimberley area. This facility will provide dedicated hospice care, ensuring comfort and support for patients and their families. Client service remains our priority, but we recognize the need for this important project and welcome community supporters and interested groups. Fill out this form to contact us for more information about our plans and how you can support this initiative.
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Building a new standard for compassionate end-of-life care in the East Kootenay
At the Cranbrook Kimberley Hospice Society, we believe that everyone deserves comfort, dignity, and a peaceful environment when they need it most. We are excited to share our vision for a new, 10-bed Hospice House—a place designed to provide 24/7 care in a warm, home-like setting, keeping families close to their loved ones. We know you likely have questions about this journey, from our plans to how you can help. We have compiled the answers below to help you understand our vision and how we can work together to build this dream for our community.
Getting Involved
Donations can be made securely and easily right here on our website. Whether it is a one-time gift or a recurring contribution, every donation brings us one step closer to making the Hospice House a reality for our community. Donations are also accepted in our office.
Yes! We are always looking for dedicated volunteers to support our work. To find out more information about how you can get involved with this exciting initiative or our ongoing programs,
please call our office at 250-417-2019 or email us at [email protected].
For more information on how to host or support a third-party fundraiser for the Hospice House, For more information on how to host or support a third-party fundraiser for the Hospice House, please call our office at 250-417-2019 or email us at [email protected].
Funding & Operations
The Hospice House represents a significant investment in our community, with an estimated project cost of $15 million, covering both construction and the first three years of operation. We are deeply grateful to the generous community donors who are partnering with us to bring this vision to life. Moving forward, sustainable funding will be supported by a combination of government grants, continued support from Interior Health, and ongoing fundraising initiatives. All clients will be responsible for a nominal daily fee established by Interior Health.
The current cost is $49 a day, a fee set by Interior Health (IH). For those who cannot afford to stay, they can apply to the Ministry of Health for a reduction or to have the fee waived.
Beyond the initial three years, we are working closely with Interior Health to secure long-term operational funding. Additionally, we will be holding an annual giving campaign to ensure continued support for the Hospice House.
Absolutely. While we are incredibly excited about the journey to build our new Hospice House, our existing client services remain a top priority. The Cranbrook Kimberley Hospice Society will continue providing our current community support and volunteer programs just as we always have. The addition of the Hospice House will simply allow us to expand our continuum of care, giving families a dedicated, 24/7 residential care option when staying at home is no longer possible.
Yes, we welcome family members to stay. Each patient suite will be designed with comfortable, flexible seating that converts into a bed, allowing loved ones to remain close at all times.
We understand that pets are cherished family members and we will welcome visits from well-behaved dogs and cats. To ensure a comfortable environment for all, the following Interior
Health guidelines must be met:
● pets must be visiting a specific patient
● clean and well-groomed
● should not be aggressive,
● hyperactive, or difficult to control.
For the safety of everyone, pets must be supervised and contained (on a leash or in a carrier) by a designated handler at all times, including any necessary cleanup, and must remain out of common areas.
Yes, our facility will include a communal kitchen and family lounge area where loved ones can prepare meals, share quiet moments, and support one another in a home-like environment.
We are committed to honoring the diverse spiritual and cultural needs of our community. Quiet spaces for reflection will be provided and we can facilitate visits from spiritual or cultural leaders as requested by patients and their families.
Yes, the facility is being designed to meet all accessibility standards, including wheelchair-accessible suites, wide doorways, and barrier-free washrooms to ensure comfort and ease of movement for everyone. We will adhere to all Interior Health building and licensing requirements.
About Our Hospice House
A hospice house is a warm, home-like setting designed to provide compassionate, 24/7 care for individuals nearing the end of life who can no longer be cared for at home. Unlike the clinical environment of a hospital, a hospice house focuses entirely on comfort, dignity, and quality of life. It provides specialized medical care to manage pain and symptoms, while also offering a
peaceful, supportive space where loved ones can step back from being caregivers and simply
focus on being family.
While we currently have 3 designated hospice beds in the Cranbrook Kimberley area, none of these are dedicated hospice beds. In fact, for families seeking the peaceful, home-like setting of a true hospice house, the closest facility is a 6-hour drive away in Kelowna. Our local residents deserve access to specialized, compassionate end-of-life care right here in the East Kootenay, without the need to travel outrageous distances.
The new Hospice House is being purposefully designed as a 10-bed facility. This size ensures we can help meet the growing needs of our community while still maintaining the quiet, intimate, and home-like atmosphere that is so essential for providing highly personalized, compassionate care to every individual and their family.
Project Timeline & Location
We are actively exploring locations in the Cranbrook Kimberley area and continue to look for a property that significantly meets our needs. Our priority is finding a site that offers a quiet, peaceful, and accessible environment for our patients, their families, and our care team.
We are currently in the exciting early stages of planning and fundraising for the new Hospice House. Because a project of this scale requires careful preparation, site selection, and community support, we do not have a specific opening date just yet. However, we are moving forward with purpose and will be sure to share major milestones and timeline updates with the community as they happen!
We encourage you to follow us on our social media channels and this website for the latest news and major project milestones. You can also call our office at 250-417-2019
Visiting & Patient Experience
Absolutely. There will be no defined visiting hours. Visitors are welcome 24/7 to support their loved ones. We believe that family and loved ones are an important part of the care team.
Eligibility & Admission
While they overlap, palliative care focuses on symptom and pain management throughout a serious illness, regardless of the prognosis. Hospice care is a specific type of palliative carefocused on comfort and quality of life for those approaching the end of life, typically when curative treatments are no longer the goal.
Admission is coordinated through the local Palliative Care Program. The process begins with a supportive conversation about your care needs with your family physician, nurse practitioner, or your existing Palliative Care case manager. To be eligible for admission, an individual must be registered with the local Palliative Care Program.