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Meeting Your Needs by Chris Zinn, Assistant Administrator, Hubbard Hospice House In the first four years of operation, a small specialized team cared for more than a  thousand patients at the Hubbard Hospice
House. However, there were many patients who could not be served by the original 12-bedded North wing.After raising over $1 million in 2004, the Board decided to proceed with the expansion to meet the community need. In July 2005, 12 more rooms were opened in the South wing and the staff doubled to accommodate the growth. There are now 54 full-time equivalent employees: the majority are nurses and certified nursing assistants. This also includes medical and administrative staff, social workers, some part-time counselors, a physical therapist, a pharmacist. There also is now a dedicated dietary, maintenance and housekeeping staff. Recruiting nurses has not yet been a problem, but there has been some turnover due to opportunities within the organization. Staff support and continuing education is being provided to ensure retention of high quality staff at the hospice house. With the recent growth, more volunteers have been recruited for patient care, reception, office duties and for special music, massage and pet therapy programs for our patients. Community pastors and rabbis are volunteering to lead the weekly interfaith Chapel service. Many individuals and clubs also are involved to maintain and support our beautiful gardens. In 2006, we admitted 552 patients. There were a large number of different diagnoses including cancer, heart disease, stroke and coma, and respiratory, neurological, liver and renal diseases. There was an increase in the numbers of patients with mild or advanced dementia and with mental illness. The majority of patients are at the Hospice House for less than 2 weeks, but 119 patients improved after admission and required routine hospice care because they had no caregiver to help them at home. There were 74 home patients who received respite care. The Hospice House is providing more charity care now that more patients are unable to go home once stabilized. Most of these patients are unable to pay for  room and board, so fundraising has become essential. With assistance from United Way, memorial
donations and special programs such as the Hospice Corner, Memory tree and Dorothy F. Melton Memorial Walkway as well as other
fund-raising events, the Hospice House can provide charity care and maintain the beautiful environment and all the special
services, including its own bereavement support program.The Hubbard Hospice House is part of a continuum of care, a very precious resource that has to be allocated to those whose needs cannot be met in other settings. The mission of the Hospice House is to care for patients who need short-term pain and symptom management; care in their final weeks; a short respite care; or residential care in their final weeks because they have no caregiver. After six years of providing this very special inpatient care, we need to consider how we will continue to serve the growing numbers of patients who cannot be cared for at home. The first priority is to take care of home hospice patients in crisis who need special medical care that cannot be provided at home. Although very home-like, the facility is equipped to provide a hospital level of care. To be able to provide beds when they are needed, however, it is essential that patients who improve or stabilize are either discharged home or to other facilities in the region.* * (Text taken from the HospiceCare 2006 Annual Report.) |
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