Eric Newson (left), health services manager, palliative care, and Karen Verge (right), QEII continuing care assistant, show off the new whirlpool tub for palliative care patients at the QEII. The tub, purchased through the QEII Foundation’s palliative care trust fund, features a wide-lifting side door and a motorized lift system that tilts for easier transfers that can be done without the use of a sling. CONTRIBUTED
QEII Foundation donors supporting patients through end-of-life care
As health services manager of Nova Scotia Health’s Central Zone Palliative Care Programs, Eric Newson is thankful for a new option to help patients experience comfort and relaxation as they approach the end of their lives.
Generous donors to the QEII Foundation’s palliative care trust fund allowed Eric and his team at the Victoria General site’s 12-bed inpatient unit to purchase an accessible whirlpool tub.
“It is so therapeutic,” he says. “It makes such a difference in the quality of the patients’ lives. A warm bath is so good for their muscles as well as their skin. It helps their physical as well as their mental health.”
Patients report feeling cleaner, happier and more relaxed after soaking in the new tub. The $36,000 tub replaces a previous unit, which had been non-operational for approximately six months before the new tub was installed last fall.
Carrie Edwards was admitted to the QEII’s inpatient palliative care unit on Feb. 23 with late-stage pancreatic cancer. The whirpool tub brought her peace and comfort prior to her passing in early April 2026.
“It is just heavenly,” said Carrie. “Soaking in it makes me feel so good.”
While palliative care patients are focused on their quality of life during their final stage of life, mobility problems often limit their bathing options. As their ability to move decreases, using regular tubs or showers becomes difficult, leading many to rely on bed baths, especially once they are hospitalized. Before arriving at the palliative care unit, Carrie couldn’t recall the last time she had a bath. At home, she depended on brief, seated showers that were difficult and uncomfortable.
Patients with limited mobility rely on a non-powered transfer aid and the help of team members such as Karen Verge — a continuing care assistant who has worked on the unit for 11 years — to move from sitting to standing and onto the whirlpool tub’s seat. The tub features a wide-lifting side door and a motorized lift system that tilts for easier transfers that can be done without the use of a sling.
Once in the tub, Karen lowers the tub’s angle so that patients are left to soak in a relaxing reclining position. The tub is also equipped with a hand-held shower head to make it easier for bathing.
“A lot of people are nervous at first,” says Karen. “Once the jets come on, they don’t want to get out. They like it because it is so relaxing.”
The tub’s adjustable whirlpool jets offer a gentle massage that can soothe joint discomfort and boost circulation. The bathtub is situated in a room painted blue, decorated with tranquil beach scenes and an image of a happy child bathing. To enhance the atmosphere, Karen often turns on battery-operated candles, provides a waterproof pillow, pours juice into plastic wine glasses, and sometimes even puts a small rubber duck in the tub. The duck brought joyful giggles to one 90-year-old man.
For Carrie, the warm water and bubbles also soothed her bed sores and the inflammation in her legs and feet. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer four years ago and having undergone several rounds of treatment, Carrie was admitted to the palliative care unit after the extreme pain she experienced made living alone in her Dartmouth apartment unmanageable.
“We have patients with the most complex symptoms, the ones who are facing the largest challenges managing their pain. Our team focuses on pain management,” says Eric. “We try to make it as comfortable as possible.”
Karen finds it rewarding to provide comforting baths for patients nearing the end of life.
“I love our patients. I get such fulfillment working here,” she says.
