Hospice welcomes first patient

Newburgh — Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Counties, Inc. officially opened the new Kaplan Family Hospice Residence this summer. The first patient was admitted on Aug. 1. This facility offers a place where those too sick to stay in their own homes or without a caregiver can receive dignified, supportive end-of-life care. The 11-bed hospice residence, built in a wooded residential area on Sunrise Lane, Newburgh, at the crossroads of I 84 and the New York State Thruway, offers care to patients with life-limiting illnesses. It is for people who are in advanced disease stages with six weeks or less to live. This new residence is for the hospice patient, providing palliative care when a cure is no longer possible and enabling the patient to die with dignity while maintaining a good quality of life. “The hospice residence will serve a wide variety of people,” says Dan Grady, President and CEO of Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Counties, Inc. “Working families often can not care for their loved ones 24 hours a day while maintaining a job. Elderly spouses may not have the strength to care for their loved ones. And then there are those who simply have no care givers. This new residence provides the people of Orange, Sullivan and nearby counties with hospice choices that allow them to be served close to home.” The distinctive feature of hospice care is the coordination of medical, psychological, and spiritual support for both the dying persons and their families. Hospice also provides bereavement support services. Like many other forms of medical care, hospice takes a team approach offering a range of care. The team may include not only doctors and nurses, but also members of the clergy; social workers; home health aides; and trained volunteers, as well as family and friends. “This new hospice residence is a peaceful and personal setting,” says Ann Fitzpatrick, RN Director of the Kaplan Family Hospice Residence. “Each room accommodates family and friends with a comfortable place to sleep. There are display areas for family pictures, books, artwork and personal mementos. Large windows and private outdoor sitting areas are available to each patient and family, with garden views from every room.” Even before the doors to the hospice residence were open, many people from this community gave their time, talents and money as heartfelt gifts to help others at the end of life. The Kaplan Family Hospice Residence is a product of tremendous support that was generated by the William and Elaine Kaplan Family Foundation and members of the Orange and Sullivan County community. “There is no easy way to lose a loved one. Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Counties, Inc. and the new Kaplan Family Hospice Residence will not allow a person to die alone,” says Grady. “We pledge to provide quality end-of-life care for those who deserve all of the dignity we can offer them at their most vulnerable time.” For more information or to make a referral, call Elaine Curcio, Referral Coordinator at 561-6111 ext. 309.