A Few Examples of Why We Need a Local Hospice House

• Currently, the closest Hospice House to our building sight is 45 miles away. The majority however are 75+ miles away! The bulk of all hospice houses in the State of Iowa are in large cities.Think of how inconvenient this is to the families of patients living in small towns. The time spent driving back and forth to visit your loved one could be time spent sharing memories instead. The substantial cost of the long drives could be cut dramatically and prevent unnecessary financial stress. A closer Hospice House means more lunch breaks to stop in and see how “mom or dad” is doing, more visits worked in around everyday responsibilities and decreased financial burden to the family. We think the time is now that the terminally ill in rural communities have a first class facility just like their urban counterparts.

• Most of the closest hospice houses are completely full with a waiting list. Statistics show that there are only enough hospice house beds in the state to service less than 5% of all hospice admissions in a year by Iowa Hospice Agencies.

• Many times a nursing home is the only option for Hospice Patients because there is no other choice in rural Iowa. However, with an aging population and “baby boomer” children working later into life, most of the nursing homes surrounding us are often full. This narrows the options for the patient and family even more.

• The nursing home or hospital option is just not practical for some hospice patients. Sadly, terminal illnesses strike even the young. To the 38 year old mother of 3 who is battling cancer, the thought of her family having to visit her at a nursing home is devastating. A Hospice House would help her keep her dignity and maintain as high quality of life as possible. Her family would have a cozy place to visit her. The kids would have entertainment, grief counselors and support readily available. What a blessing a hospice house is to a young family in need.

• Family can come by day and night and visit. And when they leave they can have peace of mind because they know their loved one is getting great care with a low patient to staff ratio.

• Family can stay all night if they wish. This is extremely helpful for the patient who has a lot of “out of town” visitors. The cost and inconvenience of staying in a motel won’t be an obstacle for visitors. The four private rooms will be equipped with a guest bed and sitting area. Hot showers, internet access, TVs and kitchen area will all be available to guests as well.