Official opening of Southeast New Brunswick’s first residential hospice

NEWS RELEASE

August 19, 2021
For immediate release

Official opening of Southeast New Brunswick’s first residential hospice

MONCTON, N.B. – The first residential hospice serving Southeast New Brunswick officially opened today. Guests and dignitaries attending included the Honourable Daniel Allain, Minister of Local Government and Local Governance Reform and MLA for Moncton East, Hospice SENB Campaign Chair Julie McKenna and many others.

Located on Pleasant Street in Moncton, the new Maison Albert House residential hospice is a 10-bed facility with four family rooms, a commercial kitchen and various common areas. It is fully staffed with nursing and support care staff who will be assisted by trained volunteers.

Designed for the needs of those in palliative care who are facing the end of their life’s journey, the new residential facility will provide around-the-clock services free of charge to any citizen of Albert, Kent or Westmorland counties. All residents who are admitted to Maison Albert House will be referred by the New Brunswick Extra-Mural Program, in consultation with their doctor.

“When people are faced with end-of-life care, there needs to be a setting where family, friends and even their pets can be at their side,” said the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, MP for Moncton Dieppe Riverview, who could not attend but sent her regards. “The opening of this beautiful hospice residence at long last gives people of this area a better chance of living out their last days with dignity.”

“Palliative care is an important part of our overall health-care system,” said Local Government and Local Governance Reform Minister Daniel Allain. “Maison Albert House plays a vital role when it comes to providing support and care to individuals at the end of their lives and to their families, and we are proud to have such a wonderful facility operating right here in Moncton.”

The grand opening of the facility was hosted by Hospice SENB’s past president of the board, Dennis Cochrane. “This is a new era for our organization and a great step in enhancing the quality of life for the citizens of this region,” he said. “We’re the largest and the fastest growing region in the province but didn’t have a residential hospice to serve our citizens. Now, we have a state-of-the-art facility that is a model for palliative care and has been built to serve Southeast New Brunswick for generations to come.”

Hospice SENB’s new board chair, Irenée (Rene) Bourque, agreed that the new facility is a needed and welcome asset to the region. “There are only 13 palliative beds in the two major hospitals that serve our area, and our 10 beds will help alleviate the pressure on those hospitals because of the demand for those rooms,” he said. “It is also more cost-efficient because a hospice room is typically much less expensive than a hospital room and provides a more accessible, quiet and comfortable setting for both the resident and their loved ones. Our rooms are spacious, and we have ample common areas and amenities for family and friends. We’ll even be pet-friendly!”

The new facility is named after Albert Arsenault, the father of one of Hospice SENB’s major donors, Denis Arsenault.

Albert Arsenault was born in Inkerman, N.B., the youngest of 16 children. He began his career in construction as a teenager and, by 1960, had moved to Moncton and started his own business building homes, which he did until 1980 when the economy took a downturn. After a brief stint out west, he returned and eventually continued his career working with his son Denis, who inherited his father’s strong work ethic and business acumen. Today, Mr. Arsenault is enjoying his retirement years in the Moncton area and is honoured to help improve the quality of life for the citizens of Southeast New Brunswick – along with Denis – through their generous donation to Hospice SENB and Maison Albert House.

Fast facts about Maison Albert House:

Address: 156 Pleasant Street, Moncton, NB

Size: 12,300 square feet (1,143 square metres)

Rooms: • 10 resident rooms, 4 family rooms, sunroom, dining room, community kitchen, commercial kitchen, sun porch, meditation room, nurse/doctor/consultation rooms, medication room, spa/bathing room, family lounge, laundry and staff rooms

Staff: 12 full-time and nine (9) part-time

Hospice SENB is a registered charity established in 2004. It promotes awareness on life-limiting illnesses and end-of-life issues, provides grief and bereavement services and support for clients and their families, and operates a residential hospice in Moncton. Hospice SENB services are free, confidential and are available to anyone living in Albert, Kent and Westmorland counties.

For more information on donating to Hospice SENB or volunteering, please call 506-383-2404 or visit the Hospice SENB website at hospicesenb.ca.

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Media contact:

Marisa Piccini
Director, Donor Development
Hospice SENB
(506) 688-6012
marisa@hospicesenb.ca