A home for hospice
Caregivers look forward to facility's autumn opening
BY SOUMITRO SEN, soumitros@theunion.com
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12:01 a.m. PT May 9, 2008
The maze of steel partition walls, the unfinished lounge with high ceiling and the 20-feet-high portico at the new Hospice of the Foothills facility under construction on Rough and Ready Highway indicate how spacious and elaborate the facility will be when completed in the fall.
Caregivers at the hospice are excited that the new facilities will improve the quality of services they provide county residents by allowing in-house care for patients.
"We'll just have more room," said Virginia Griffin, a social worker with the hospice. "That's what everyone is looking forward to."
With a single team of caregivers, patients will receive "seamless care," said Donna Brown, a registered nurse with the hospice.
The hospice serves some patients at the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital; local nursing homes including Meadow View Manor, Spring Hill Manor and Grass Valley Convalescent Home; residential care facilities for the elderly including Eskaton, Brunswick Village and Quail Ridge Senior Living; and in private homes, Brown said.
Otherwise, the nearest facility dedicated to hospice care is in Yuba City - too far for most people dealing with loved ones who are dying.
Hospice service is provided to any person who has a prognosis of six months or less to live if the disease follows its natural course, Brown said.
Hospice of the Foothills plans to open its new facilities in late fall, Executive Director Dennis Fournier said.
"The exterior is almost complete, and they are working on the interiors," Fournier said. "More than 50 percent is complete."
Contractor Keoni Allen, of Sierra Foothills Construction Co. in Grass Valley, agreed with Fournier.
"We are finishing off the exterior of the building, the siding, trim and roofing," Allen said. "Inside, we are working on the plumbing, electricity, heating and air conditioning. It's going great. We are right on schedule, and we'll turn the building over in mid-September."
The 29,000-square-foot building will include 12 suites for terminally ill patients and working area for staff members, Allen said.
The project is costing a total of $9 million, Fournier said.
"From reserves and fundraisers, we have $3.5 million on hand," he said. "We are continuing to do fundraising events and telling people. We are trying to contact as many community members as possible."
Hospice of the Foothills serves about 65 to 70 terminally-ill patients a day, Fournier said.
The hospice staff consists of full and part-time employees including 25 registered nurses, 30 patient-care volunteers, seven medical social workers, five certified home health aides, three spiritual counselors, one bereavement counselor and one volunteer coordinator, said Susan Juels, director of patient care services.
To contact Soumitro Sen, e-mail ssen@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
