Plans for hospice house progressing
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
RICK DUNCAN, chair of the Aroostook Hospice House Foundation board, points to preliminary plans for a 6-bed freestanding hospice facility that will be built in Aroostook County. Officials are in the process of selecting a location for the Aroostook House of Comfort. The 8,600-square-foot hospice house project is expected to cost about $1.8 million. Duncan said a capital fund-raising campaign will likely begin later this year.
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
PRESQUE ISLE — Plans to construct a 6-bed freestanding hospice house in Aroostook County are on track, and officials are in the process of selecting a location.
“We’re narrowing it down,” said Rick Duncan, chair of the Aroostook Hospice House Foundation board. “We’re talking with some folks who want to donate land to us; we’re just making sure it’s the right spot, if the building fits the land that’s being donated, etc. We should know by April where the facility will be constructed.”
The 8-10 acres of land is located between Presque Isle and Caribou.
“We felt that was quite essential … we wanted to serve the largest population and make it accessible for the greatest number of people,” he said. “We want it accessible for people from Fort Kent down to Houlton and beyond.”
Hospice is quality, compassionate care for patients dealing with a life-limiting illness. The principal goals of hospice are to enhance the value of life by controlling pain and any other physical symptoms, maintain patients’ dignity and respect their wishes, and provide emotional and spiritual support. Hospitals, on the other hand, are more primarily focused on diagnosing, curing and healing. End-of-life care requires something more.
Duncan’s late mother, Maxine, was the impetus for the Aroostook House of Comfort.
“Hospice has the philosophy of comfort care … keeping someone in their home or in an environment that they’re comfortable in, while hospitals are more focused on healing. Hospitals and nursing homes are wonderful institutions for care. Palliative care — end-of-life care — requires some extra elements,” said Duncan.
“We tried to keep my mother at home, but her pain levels got to the point where we couldn’t manage her pain so we had to go to the hospital setting. She was there for 28 days. The management of her pain still continued to be a difficult process. Dealing with large doses of medications for symptom control and relief of suffering during some end-of-life journeys continues to be a topic of discussion and development in the medical setting,” he said. “The hospice program, under the guidance of the hospice medical teams and Hospice Pharmacia, are familiar with the different levels of needed medications and types to help control the pain. The hospitalist situation most hospitals use today means working with a new hospitalist every few days. With each new doctor one might run the need to re-educate the doctor concerning the loved one, and deal with the different biases in terms of end-of-life philosophies and levels of pain management. It is only natural that would happen. It was a learning experience for all of us involved, and I hope someone benefits from it.”
Another drawback, Duncan said, to having his mother in the hospital was that the setting was “not conducive for a family to be there.”
“When you have 3-4 family members trying to stay in the room … especially at nighttime … it’s hard. I slept in a chair quite a few nights,” he said. “It’s just not a comfortable atmosphere where hospice houses are designed as suites and people can stay there very comfortably.
“A year after my mother’s passing, I had the privilege of spending time with my grandmother, Velma MacDonald, in a hospice house in Ocala, Fla.,” said Duncan. “The family setting experience for my grandmother and me helped to reassure me of the importance of giving families traveling this journey with loved ones another option.”
After his mother passed away in May 2009, Duncan and his family thought, “We need another option for families to choose from.”
“We started looking within the state. We visited the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House which is located in Scarborough and the Androscoggin Hospice House in Auburn. They are the only two hospice facilities serving all Maine families at this time. There are northern Maine families who have used these facilities in the past, but the distance is difficult for most families,” he said. “They are freestanding hospice care centers that are geared for the comfort of not only the patient, but the comfort of the family, too. It’s an atmosphere where families can come in, stay long periods of time, they can cook meals, and get the medical comfort care and whatever spiritual or family interaction care they need, as well. Dr. Donald Sawyer of The Aroostook Medical Center has been helpful with information as he was instrumental in helping to open the Omega Hospice House in Michigan.”
Duncan said he saw another need for a hospice facility last April when his father-in-law, Robert Whited, opted to receive end-of-life care at home.
“My mother-in-law, my wife and a couple of her sisters became the in-house caregivers. Of course Hospice of Aroostook were a great support and came in, but the day-to-day care falls on the family members, and now all of a sudden the family members become the caregiver and that’s a whole different role … a tougher role, especially when handling medications,” he said. “They’re not able to be the daughters anymore; they’re the nurses. With an environment like a hospice house, they’re able to be the daughters again. Support and comfort is of utmost importance for the family, as well.”
Though the details are still being worked on, to date the Aroostook House of Comfort will be operated by Visiting Nurses of Aroostook.
“The Foundation is going to own the building,” Duncan said, “and contract the health care aspect out to Visiting Nurses of Aroostook/Hospice of Aroostook. There will be 24-hour medical care provided to patients onsite with a registered nurse and two CNAs on staff 24 hours a day who will work under a hospice doctor. However, the plan is still evolving.”
The 8,600-square-foot hospice house project is expected to cost about $1.8 million.
“The building cost looks to be about $1 million, we’d need $300,000 for equipment, furniture and fixtures, and we hope to raise another $500,000 for an endowment fund,” said Duncan.
Architectural plans created by Mark Carter of North Peak Architecture were also designed for future expansion.
“At some point we could add an additional three suites,” said Duncan.
The Aroostook Hospice House Foundation board will be starting a capital fund-raising campaign later this year.
Anyone wishing to donate now can make checks payable to Aroostook House of Comfort and mail to P.O. Box 766, Presque Isle, Maine 04769.
For more information, log onto www.aroostookhospicehouse.com or e-mail rick.duncan@aroostookhospicehouse.com.
“I also encourage people to take a look at hospice houses websites around New England to get the feel for what they provide,” said Duncan. “We are happy to talk about this project one-on-one, mail our information or come to your organization and speak. Contact us at 768-0201.”
