PUSH-R

IMG_0292Princeton-UBC Save Our Healthcare – Community Collaboration

 

What is PUSH-R?

The purpose of this team building grant was to build knowledge about how to improve care for individuals living with life-limiting chronic illness in the rural community of Princeton BC. This team included five rural researchers from UBC Okanagan campus, citizens from the Princeton Support Our Healthcare Coalition (SOHC) and Princeton healthcare providers.  Team building activities included a literature review, environmental scan of resources, and two team building days held in Princeton & Kelowna.

 

 

Project Outcomes:

  • The creation of resource guides to support persons and their families living with life-limiting chronic illness. This survey work was contracted to one of the team members, June Hope, who is the local director of the Hospice Society in Princeton. Her work produced a resource guide designed to enable those living with life-limiting chronic illness to identify resources in the community. Princeton town council supplied funds to disseminate this resource guide in the community. In addition, based upon our research, two guides designed to support those with complex chronic illness who must commute outside of their community for care were shared with the community. The first is entitled “It Takes a Team” and provides evidence-based strategies for coping with commuting for advanced cancer care. The second is entitled “Know Before you Go” and is designed to provide important information about Kelowna BC for those who must commute for specialist care.

 

  • The completion of a literature review of current rural healthcare models and resources designed to support persons and families living with life-limiting chronic illness.  This literature review was conducted by two graduate students who were supported through graduate student stipends funded by Pesut’s Canada Research Chair. They conducted the literature search and compiled the findings into an annotated bibliography for the team. They presented these findings at the team building meeting conducted at UBC Okanagan. As the team explored possible topics for research, they also identified the importance of mobilizing the volunteer network for rural communities. A second literature review was conducted for volunteer innovations. This was also compiled into an annotated bibliography and made accessible to the team.

 

  • The identification of three priorities for research in the community. The top priority for research was finding ways to mobilize volunteers to assist older adults in their homes. Two other priorities were supporting family caregivers and exploring the potential for tele-health initiatives.

 

Who funded PUSH-R?

RHRNbc