 |
| Pictured at the recent signing of the lease agreement with State of the Heart and Wayne HealthCare, are, left to right: Wayne Deschambeau, Wayne HealthCare President and CEO, Ted Bauer, Executive Director, State of the Heart, and Dennis Lockard, CFO for Wayne HealthCare. |
“State of the Heart Hospice has been providing care to area patients for more than 30 years,” stated Ted Bauer, Executive Director of the nonprofit agency. “Many hospices have an inpatient unit, and we have realized for some time that it is something really needed in our community.” He said renovation and refurbishing of the unit will begin immediately.
State of the Heart, with offices in Greenville, Coldwater and Portland, cares for patients and families in eastern Indiana and western Ohio who are confronting a life-limiting illness. “The unit at Wayne HealthCare would be available for patients in our entire service area,” Bauer added. While hospice care focuses on keeping patients at home where they are most comfortable, individual cases sometimes call for an inpatient setting.
Wayne HealthCare President and CEO Wayne Deschambeau stated, “State of the Heart Hospice and Wayne HealthCare have always had an excellent relationship over the years with each focusing on providing the best in patient care. The addition of the hospice unit at Wayne HealthCare is truly a reflection of the continuum of care for patients and families.”
Bauer said the unit will be located on the fourth floor of the hospital, with windows overlooking the Darke County Fairgrounds. Hospice clinical staff will be on duty at the unit and the nurse’s station has direct access to the patient rooms. The designated hospice module can be approached from the rear of the hospital or the front entrance. The unit is away from day to day foot traffic in the hospital, providing a quiet, restful environment, Bauer explained.
When the renovation and remodeling of the unit is completed, it will be “very homelike,” Bauer stated. On the same floor, and near the patient rooms, a room will be furnished as a lounge with comfortable furniture and chairs which recline so that a family member might sleep overnight. Family members will be able to visit their loved ones seven days a week, 24 hours a day. While there are other hospices in the area, State of the Heart will be the only hospice providing a separate inpatient hospice unit. The closest hospice care facility is in Dayton.
As part of bringing the special hospice touch to the unit, Bauer said, “we will have music therapy which so many of our patients and families find therapeutic. Families can also bring their pets in for visits with the patient. And, of course our bereavement specialists will also be available.”
The added benefit to being housed in the hospital, Bauer added, is that while hospice staff will be in charge of the unit, “we will have the hospital’s services for food, , cleaning and laundry.”
Deschambeau said that the addition of the new hospice unit ties in with the non-profit philosophy of the hospital by giving back to the community. “This was extra space, and there was a need in our community for a hospice facility. This exclusive match is perfect for the hospital and for State of the Heart.”
Bauer said the unit could be utilized when a patient is on a ventilator, has IV therapy, or needs transfusions. Being in the hospice unit will allow these needs to be met. Also, some patients may need a short stay to better manage symptoms of their condition. Once improved, they could return home. Renovations are expected to begin soon with the anticipation of accepting the first patients early in 2013.
State of the Heart will hire additional personnel to staff the new hospice inpatient unit. If you are a registered nurse or State Tested Nursing Assistant and would be interested in employment at the new unit, please apply online at www.stateoftheheartcare.org. or, send a resume to: State of the Heart Hospice, 1350 N. Broadway, Greenville, Ohio 45331, attention HR/Inpatient Unit. To learn more about Wayne HealthCare and view the hospital, go to www.waynehealthcare.org.