Durham Regional Hospital has developed a new service to help the loved ones of patients who are receiving end-of-life care in the hospital -- the compassion cart.

Upon staff request, a cart containing snacks, beverages, coffee, and a special card is delivered to the patient’s room.

“Food can often provide comfort in painful situations, and the compassion cart is designed to comfort those who are losing their loved ones,” says Andrew Hennis, director of Food & Nutrition.

The idea for the compassion cart came from Carolyn Scott, RN, who learned about the idea at a conference.

The idea became reality through the collaboration of teams from Food & Nutrition, Palliative Care, Ambulatory Care, Nurse Governance, Radiation Oncology, Vascular Access Services, Patient Care Leadership, and Unit 5-3/Neurology Oncology.

Durham Regional Hospital’s Auxiliary provided funding for the compassion cart.