Since the first of this year, Richmond County Hospice, Inc., has been in the process of renovating its Hospice Haven House, located on U.S. Highway 1 north in Rockingham.
Now that the dust has finally settled, hospice staff members said they plan to hold a special get together for the Chamber of Commerce Special Event on Oct. 18, which will allow community members to take a look at some of the new updates that have been installed.
According to Executive Director Mary Ellen Shea, the renovations have allowed Hospice Haven to be converted from a residential house to an inpatient house that will treat acute care hospice patients.
“What we’re trying to convey is that this is Richmond County’s hospice,” Shea said. “We wanted to honor all of the people that have come before us.”
Included in the renovations were a new nursing station, staff lounge, solarium and other features intended to make the house feel more like home for its patients.
“We’re working on creating a walking path with bricks that were donated by the (Hannah Pickett) mill,” Shea said. Also in the works is a special veterans memorial that is easily accessible from the pathway. “We’re going to take photographs of the historic towns of Richmond County and blow them up and hang them on the walls throughout the house.”
Shea added that Hospice Haven is a huge promoter of home care.
“We’ll utilize our Haven to assist patients in the areas of symptom management, medication adjustment, pain control and increased observation … There are times when they need extra care, and that’s what we’ll bring them. Then the goal is to have them go back home.”
The renovations were accomplished through a series of donations, Shea said, and the hospice staff played a large role in their completion.
“We’ve been blessed,” she said.
In October, Hospice Haven will host the Chamber’s Business After Hours to allow visitors to get a feel for some of the changes that have been made.
“People can walk through, get a tour and be able to ask questions,” she said. “We hope to be accepting patients by December. We’re currently seeking state licensure while simultaneously seeking CHAP (Community Health Accreditation Program) accreditation.”
Kristina Leyden, L.C.S.W., faculty manager for the new Hospice Haven House, said the project was designed give back to the county as much as possible.
“The team has been working very hard in being able to provide a homey acute care setting,” Leyden said. “We want to try to bring the community back into the Haven.”
For more information on Richmond County Hospice, contact 910-997-4464.
— Staff Writer Mallory Brown can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 18, or by email at mallorybrown@heartlandpublications.com
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