An Endowment Campaign for Hospice House

A Gift to the Community: Opening the Doors of Hospice House

The road traveled by those with a life-limiting illness can be difficult, and lonely. It is a journey undertaken reluctantly, with little knowledge of what lies ahead, and may ultimately involve more than the patient and family can handle alone. Since 1980, Hospice of the Piedmont has shared this journey with more than 14,000 patients and their families.

Hospice House opened in 2004 in response to a need identified throughout the many communities we serve. Three-quarters of our hospice patients are over the age of 65, and it is not unusual for staff and volunteers to encounter exhausted, elderly caregivers, some with their own health problems, home alone and responsible for the 24-hour care of a seriously ill spouse, sibling, or friend.

It is difficult to find reliable, private duty nursing staff to provide around-the-clock care at home; regardless, for most families this is a prohibitive, out-of-pocket expense. Although Hospice of the Piedmont nurses, aides, and volunteers are available to offer assistance, some families need more support. Additionally, some families cannot provide the safe environment and level of care needed by their loved ones as they reach the end of their journey.

Hospice of the Piedmont's Hospice House is one of only two licensed, residential hospice facilities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is designed to provide safe, skilled, compassionate care in a warm, homelike setting for hospice patients who cannot remain at home during the final weeks of life. For these individuals, Hospice House is a place of refuge and support where they will be treated with dignity, kept comfortable, alert and pain free, and where they can say their final goodbyes surrounded by their loved ones.


Access to Care, Regardless of Circumstance
Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance reimburse only the basic daily rate approved for hospice patients living at home. That is to say, for patients at Hospice House, Hospice of the Piedmont is not reimbursed for the cost of providing room, board, and round-the-clock staff, in addition to the other expenses required to operate the residence.

Still, the Board of Directors of Hospice of the Piedmont is determined to make Hospice House available to those who need it during the last weeks of life, without regard to their financial circumstances, and to keep the costs passed on to patients and families as reasonable as possible.

Families with the means to do so are asked to compensate Hospice of the Piedmont for room, board, and other expenses on a sliding scale based on income. Patients who are uninsured or unable to share in these costs are never denied access to Hospice House. Funding for care of these community members is sought from the general fundraising efforts of Hospice of the Piedmont, and now through an endowment campaign for the Hospice House.

"When my stepfather was admitted to Hospice House he soon realized the level of comfort and care he would receive, and he said: "Thank you for bringing me here. I love it!" When one can no longer care for a loved one at home, words such as these are heartwarming and reassuring that the right decision has been made. Your good work put my mother's heart at ease."

A Plan to Protect the Future: An Endowment Campaign
A non-profit, charitable organization like Hospice of the Piedmont must plan carefully for the future to guarantee the existence of this safe haven for our most vulnerable neighbors at the end of their lives.

Demand for our services continues to rise-there is always a waiting list for a bed, and the number of patients needing a subsidy has grown. In fiscal year 2008, we provided more than $135,000 in "community care" for patients who could not pay for their stay, an increase of 120% over the previous year. The charity subsidies plus the expenses to operate the House created a deficit of $465,000 for the organization to absorb last year, a feat that is currently accomplished by careful stewardship of all available financial resources, including income from annual fundraising campaigns.

Hospice of the Piedmont is committed to ensuring access to Hospice House for anyone who needs it, without concern for their financial assets. Annually, between 20 and 25 Hospice House residents are unable to provide any compensation for room and board costs, or have been able to provide only a portion of the expenses associated with their stay. Since the House opened in 2004, we have underwritten approximately $331,000 for all "community care."

To meet the commitment we made to our community when Hospice House was created, we are establishing a $3 million permanent endowment for the Hospice House. The income earned on the endowment will provide a steady stream of annual dollars to offset the deficit we absorb each year.

Donor Recognition
An endowment lives on in perpetuity while the donors' investment grows, providing income for Hospice of the Piedmont and patients at Hospice House for generations to come. It is only fitting that donors to the endowment campaign have the opportunity to reserve a naming opportunity within the House; a meaningful and visible way to remember a loved one or to honor a caregiver or family member. Donors will also be recognized in honor rolls and publications, with their permission.

A Call to Action
We cannot add days to the lives of our patients, but we can add life to their days. Join us in "sharing the journey" with our patients, helping them to live and die pain free and with dignity, in the safe and caring environment of Hospice House.

Pledges paid over a three-year period of time and documented bequest intentions are welcome.