The Hospice House Project
"You matter to the last moment of your life, and we will do
all we can, not only to help you die peacefully, but to live
until you die." - Dame Cicely Saunders,
Founder of the first modern-day hospice in London
What is a Hospice House?
The Setting... A quiet, peaceful room with families gathered, some
one-on-one in quiet corners, others in a warm Great Room in front of the fire,
and on nice days some will wheel a bed out to the private patio or deck in the
sun or cool shade. The beds have quilts and the furniture is welcoming to all.
The Sounds... Music is part of the day, a quiet background to vigils
being sat. Occasionally a favorite song is played on the piano in the Great
Room. Personal favorites are played in the patients' rooms—nature sounds,
spiritual music, country western, big band.
The Smells... A hospice volunteer has just pulled some cookies from the
oven for an afternoon snack, the trees smell evergreen on the patio, hospice
patients have an aura of fresh scent from a spa bath and lotion that aides have
applied.
The People... The companionship of friends and family spill throughout
the area. There are tears, but also much laughter as special stories and photos
are shared. Countless cups of coffee are consumed and the friendships borne of
similar heartaches bond. The hospice nurse provides skilled care and
monitoring; the aide gives careful and compassionate personal care. A hospice
chaplain and community ministers bring prayer, music and burdens shared. A
hospice social worker stops by to meet with families, help them find resources
available, and provide family counseling. The hospice volunteer is there to
listen, to take someone outside on a nice day, to witness the love for the
lives led.
This is what a Hospice House is... a structure that can be the HOME for
those in their last weeks of life—filled with sights, smells and comforts of
love. Most Hospice of the Hills patients will continue to be cared for in their
own homes scattered throughout Pennington, Custer and Fall River counties, but
for those who can not or do not choose to be in their own homes, the HOSPICE
HOUSE will be a place of love, a place of comfort and rest as they make their
journeys.
When people enter this world, we do our best to surround them with love,
comfort and caring.
Shouldn't we do the same for people as they leave this world?
Please send your donations to:
Hospice House Fund
Rapid City Regional Hospital Foundation
P.O. Box 6000
Rapid City, SD 57709