About Us

Living with a life-limiting disease can be emotionally and physically draining for you, your family and your friends. Early use of our care can make a dramatic difference in your quality of life. Hospice care may be appropriate for anyone with a life-limiting illness.

At Hospice at Home, our focus is on caring for you. Together we can create a care plan that fits your desires and maximizes your quality of life. Our care team strives to eliminate physical pain as well as provide support for the emotional and spiritual health of all involved in your care. Hospice develops a plan of care specific to the needs of each patient and family.

Hospice is a holistic, non-curative, approach to care, which places emphasis on enhancing the lives of patients for their remaining days. Realizing that no one can be everything to another person, Hospice works in a team environment. Each patient is cared for by a primary care nurse, home health aide, social worker, spiritual care counselor, and a bereavement coordinator. This team works with the attending physician, the Hospice medical director, Hospice volunteers, and if needed, other supportive services.

Our Mission

SERVE
our patients, families and communities with dedication and compassion.


DELIVER
the best end of life care to help people experience peaceful, pain-free and sacred deaths within the context of their own lives.


GUIDE

our youth, adults and families through the grief process with timely and consistent availability.

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Our History

The concept of Hospice care is not new. In medieval times, pilgrims traveling to and from the Holy Land stopped at places called Hospices for food and lodging. Eventually, Hospices became known as way stations for sick and dying travelers who could go no further. Over time the word hospice has become a symbol of caring for strangers in need of help. Hospice is a place where the weary can take refuge as they travel on life’s journey. Caring in the midst of a frightening and often overwhelming time of life is still the spirit behind hospice care. The current model of hospice attempts to serve as an alternative to the “technology oriented” care that patients with life-threatening illnesses so often receive. We have moved a long way from those weary travelers-and yet not so far. We still reach out to people in time of great need and offer them our hand to guide them on a difficult journey.

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Our Annual Report

Every day it is a privilege to witness the incredible care given to the many individuals and families who need our support at a tender time in their lives. Providing dignity and care, our Palliative Care, Hospice Care, Bereavement Care staff and volunteers furnish the most skilled and compassionate care to our families, friends, and neighbors in the communities we serve.

2007 By the Numbers

851 terminally-ill individuals and their families were cared for by our organization

71 days was the average number of days a patient was cared for by our hospice program

26% of our patients lived in nursing facilities

156 was the average number of hospice patients cared for each day

191 individuals and their families were served by our Palliative Care program

220 grieving children and adults participated in the peer support groups at Lory’s Place

64 children were supported through Lory’s Place school outreach groups

356 Community Contacts were served through walk-in visits, phone, e-mail and crisis response through Lory’s Place

68,233 staff and volunteer visits were made to patients and bereaved families

$117,391.41 dollar value of total volunteer hours

5975 gifts given to Hospice at Home, South Haven Area Hospice Foundation, and Lory’s Place

2007 By the Heart

“We couldn’t have asked for another group of people who could have been more caring, observant, experienced than those who took care of us. We also want to highlight the kindness and respect the health aide showed us. I don’t know how she did it, but she got Dad through an awkward situation (helping him with his bath) with dignity. He was able to thank her and smile. God bless you all for this line of work you have chosen. What a tremendous impact you made on us. Thank you.”
– Family of a patient

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Our Board of Directors

Hilda Banyon (Secretary) – Retired, Vice President and Director of Personnel

Anne Buckleitner (Chairperson) – Attorney

Arthur Clarke – 7th District Court Judge

Donald Gast – Retired, Sr. Vice President

Bob Harrison – Dean, Lake Michigan College

Mike Henry (Vice Chairperson) – Retired, County Administrator

William Idoni (Treasurer) – Senior Vice President

Mingo LaDonne – Retired Bank Manager

Glenn Pietenpol – Retired, Banker

Wes Stephens – Retired Community College Administrator

Andy Menchinger – Funeral Home Director

Linda Stanley – M.D.

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Press Release - In Response to 2008 Record Growth

Hospice at Home Hires Nine New Professionals and Expands Physician Resources In Response to 2008 Record Growth

(Southwest Michigan) January 16, 2009 – At a time when many organizations are downsizing or laying off employees, the local non-profit hospice provider, Hospice at Home, experienced record growth in 2008, recently hired nine new employees in 2009, and expanded its physician staff. “Our organization has grown, we are caring for many more people with life limiting illnesses and their families,” states Linda Beushausen, Hospice at Home President and CEO. “It is our philosophy to go beyond expectations for patients and families, and we are proud to introduce new staff that will add to our excellent care,” continued Beushausen.

In 2008, Hospice at Home had a 23% increase in the average number of patients and their families in their care each day and added 44 new staff members.  Already this year, the twenty-seven year-old organization has hired nine new employees and secured a new physician to assist with the increase in hospice care and non-hospice palliative care physician visits. “We have 150 employees that care for approximately 200 hospice patients and their families each day. Additionally, we provide palliative care physician visits to non-hospice patients, and serve hundreds of families through our community bereavement programs including our family bereavement center, Lory’s Place,” states Beushausen.

Dr. Chris Strayhorn joined Hospice at Home in January 2009 to provide expanded physician care to hospice patients and non-hospice palliative care visits to the growing number of patients and families that Hospice at Home serves. Dr. Ramon Urrea increased the number of hours that he works with the organization for the same purpose. Dr. Urrea is also the Associate Medical Director for the South Haven Hospice at Home Team and will continue to serve in that capacity. The organization’s Medical Director, Dr. George Drake, will continue his work to ensure excellent care and will work closely with Drs. Strayhorn and Urrea.

The new Hospice at Home staff include Susan Dearing-Bond as the Major Gifts and Planned Giving Officer, Amber Fryman as the Transitions Program Coordinator, Mary Gilliam as a Family Services Coordinator at Lory’s Place, Sharon Hainer as a Social Worker, Bonnie Katlun as the Patient Accounts Coordinator, Nancy Patterson as a Family Services Coordinator at Lory’s Place, Tammy Pliley as the Accounts Payable Clerk, Laurie Timmer as a Spiritual Care Coordinator at the South Haven office, and Karen Walker as the Human Resources Generalist.

Hospice at Home is the non-profit community hospice focusing on the patient and family regardless of the patients’ diagnosis, treatment choices, life expectancy, or ability to pay. It provides quality care to people adjusting to living with a serious illness, facing death, anticipating the death of a loved one, or healing their grief after the death of a loved one. Hospice at Home places an emphasis on the emotional, social, and spiritual needs of those who need care and those receiving support services. Serving Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, and Allegan Counties, the care is coordinated by a team of physicians, nurses, home health aides, social workers, spiritual care counselors, bereavement coordinators, and trained volunteers. Extending this care, Lory’s Place, a bereavement and education center that builds hope and strength for every grieving family, is available to anyone in Southwest Michigan or Northern Indiana.

To learn more about our new employees or Hospice at Home, call 269-429-7100 or 1-800-717-3811; or go to www.hospiceathomecares.org.

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