Taking Good Care: Comfort Suites

Compassionate Care Hospice celebrates opening of comfort suite at Green Valley Terrace and Green Valley Village.

Compassionate Care Hospice has partnered with the Green Valley Terrace and Green Valley Village, nursing home and assisted-living facility in Millsboro, to open a room for patients who need end-of-life care.

The room was redecorated to provide a homelike atmosphere for those who may use it, according to Cathy Stauffer, senior vice-president of Compassionate Care Hospice. "We worked strategically to find an area in the nursing home for the suite," Stauffer said. The area selected is rather close to the nurse's desk, but equally important, it is also close to the courtyard. The room is decorated with brightly colored quilts and curtains and boasts reclining chairs for added comfort. "One of the reasons we try to do them in nursing homes is to remove the stigma families have about [nursing homes]," Stauffer said of the comfort suite.

She said there are many benefits to placing family members in a nursing home in the care of a hospice organization. Not only do the patient and family have the assistance of hospice workers, but they also get the added care from the nursing home staff. "It's more comfortable here, and there's added support," Stauffer said. The room has two hospital beds to accommodate two patients. There are bedside tables and plenty of room on the walls for photographs along with other memories of home. Although this is the first nursing home in Delaware to partner with Compassionate Care Hospice, it is not a new concept, according to Stauffer. These partnerships are well established in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. "It's been very successful in other parts of the country," Stauffer said.

Stauffer said she proposed this partnership to multiple nursing home directors across the state. Nancy J. Fry jumped at the opportunity. "She's the only one in the whole state," Stauffer said. Fry, administrator and executive director of the Millsboro facility, said she is familiar with hospice care and the work they do. In Lancaster, Pa., where Fry is from, the organization had rooms in medical facilities. Eventually, they built an independent facility of their own. Fry said she was very interested in the partnership. "I felt there was a need for this," Fry said of the partnership. "It's been great. They're experts in pain management." Fry said the partnership benefits the families as they now have the opportunity to stay with their loved one at the nursing home. "I really think once the concept gets out there, others will join," Stauffer noted.

In addition to getting other nursing homes to partner with Compassionate Care Hospice, Stauffer said she wants individuals and families to become more familiar with hospice care in general." People think hospice is only for cancer patients," she said. "Nothing could be farther from the truth." Hospice groups care for any terminally ill patient, regardless of illness." Any age, any disease," she added.

Too often hospice workers are called to help with the care when a patient is days or even hours away from death. Yet, they are trained to help all members of the family including children through the process of the illness and beyond. "We want them early, so we can help," Stauffer said. With the addition of the nursing home suite, those involved in the partnership said they hope people will understand and call on them when hospice care is needed.

Most of the care is covered through health insurance companies including Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance. Care is also paid for through family donations and memorial gifts. Stauffer said almost 100 percent of the money collected for hospice services goes back to the families as they may take time from work to spend with their loved ones. Should they get behind in their bills, hospice can often help meet those needs too.

The latest partnership between Compassionate Care Hospice and the Green Valley Terrace and Green Valley Village should help families and patients meet the challenges of terminal illnesses. Having the beds in a nursing home facility also provides the patient with additional support staff to help with care. "This makes it more inviting to families," Fry said.

For more information about Compassionate Care Hospice, call (800) 219-0092.

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