Rotary Hospice House
The Rotary Hospice House is a ten-bed facility designed to provide care to ANYONE who is suffering with either an advanced chronic illness, or a life threatening illness. People choose to become a guest at the Rotary Hospice House for a number of reasons such as:
- Short-term assistance in the transition from hospital to home
- Short-term control of symptoms (pain, nausea, fatigue, difficulty breathing etc)
- The need for respite for their main caregiver
- They require end of life care in their final days
- Forty percent of people who come into the house are there for short periods of time, and return home.
The Rotary Hospice House provides guests, families and friends, with a home-like atmosphere - similar to a bed and breakfast with medical care. With the construction of a ten bed addition to Rotary Hospice House in 2009, the house is now 10.000 square feet in size. Each 306 square foot bedroom has a private two piece bathroom, a double bed size futon, recliner chair, wall mounted flat screen TV, separate heating and air conditioner unit large window, an electric bed and a ceiling mounted lift. The heart of the home is the kitchen of course, with an open dining concept and a fireplace in one corner near a television. The previous bedrooms were renovated to provide a children’s playroom, a meeting room, a quiet room a den and a bedroom for overnight visitors. Families enjoy the large space of the bedrooms, as it allows them to remain in the room during care and there is room for three people to stay overnight.
On the grounds, guests and families can enjoy the Forest Expo gardens complete with bench seating areas, and a patio with a gas BBQ. The house also has a toy cupboard, dollhouse, toy box and outdoor jungle gym and swing set. Children are welcome at any hour, for any length of time.
Many family members, as they express their surprise at how life enhancing the experience is, also praise the beauty of the building and the comfortable spaces for their use.
Benefits of staying at Rotary Hospice House include:
- Our first priority is to relieve suffering – whether it is physical or emotional.
- NO RESTRICTIONS on the number or age of visitors, or visiting hours.
- Guests have full control over their care. Privacy is respected and personal choice is highly regarded.
- Guests are encouraged to bring personal belongings.
- Family pets are allowed to visit and can stay 24 hours a day.
- Family physicians continue the care of their patients while at the house.
- There is a spiritual advisor available to guests and families.
- Complimentary therapies such as healing touch, massage, reflexology, and chiropractic are available.
- Although there is a small user fee, guests are expected to pay only what they can afford. No one is turned away due to financial reasons, please discuss with staff.
Community Outreach Services
Visiting Volunteer Services
Hospice volunteers work in our community to assist individuals who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, as well as their caregivers, family members and friends. They give emotional support, provide respite, and help with activities such as writing letters and reading.
Bedside Vigil Services
On-call volunteers respond to requests to sit at the bedside of individuals who are actively dying. Most requests for this service come from the long-term care facilities in our community.