Caregiver Support Available in Frontenac County

Jeff Green | Apr 05, 2023

Barb Mundell is the community liaison for the volunteer hospice and bereavement services program that is available to families throughout Frontenac County and Addington Highlands.

The program, which is coordinated by Katie Buckley, is operated out of Sydenham at Southern Frontenac Community Services, but is also available through Rural Frontenac Community Services, in Sharbot Lake, and Land O'Lakes Community Services, in Northbrook.

“We run caregiver and bereavement support groups,” said Mundell, “as well as a volunteer hospice visiting service.”

The visiting service supports individuals and their families in a variety of ways, depending on the relationship that develops between the volunteers and people who have a life limiting or terminal illness.

Hospice Volunteers make home visits and provide companionship, to assist with errands or to watch over as the client rests. The program allows caregivers the time to do what needs to be done at home or elsewhere while having the peace of mind knowing their loved one is being cared for.

“Hospice Volunteers do not replace, but are meant to supplement support provided by family, friends and other professional care providers of the Palliative Care Team,” said Mundell.

The COVID-19 pandemic, and resulting social distancing measures, made home visits untenable for a couple of years, and are still a limiting factor, but volunteers are needed more than ever, now that visits are possible again.

“With such a large area to cover, we are always looking for people,” she said.

Volunteers are matched with families, usually based on location, and volunteers receive training before-hand. The support that volunteers provide varies quite a bit based on the circumstances of the family, and it is usually about a 4 hour per week commitment.

Anyone who is interested in becoming a hospice volunteer is invited to contact Katie Buckley at 613- 376-6477, ext. 205. or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Caregiver and bereavement support groups are another key component of the program.

The Caregiver Support Group in South Frontenac meets at the Sydenham Library from 1:30pm-3pm on the third Wednesday of the month, and the Bereavement Support Group meets at the Sydenham Library on the last Wednesday of the month from 1pm-2:30 pm.

The Bereavement Support Group in Central Frontenac meets at Sharbot Lake Retirement and Retreat on the second Tuesday of the month from 10am-11am, and the Caregiver support Group takes place at the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team Office on the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 1pm-2:30pm.

For further information, go to https://www.sfcsc.ca/volunteer-hospice-bereavement For further information, go to https://www.sfcsc.ca/volunteer-hospice-bereavement