Fund-raising begins on project to open multiple hospice homes in Central Texas
OUR TOWN TEMPLE
A local group has formed with the purpose of opening a non-profit hospice care house in Central Texas for families needing a place for a loved one to spend their final days.
About 45 Bell County community leaders attended an information session in Belton about the initiative of Our Hospice House, a project of The Lord’s Work ministry.
“There are many people who don’t want to die in a hospital, but their families just cannot take care of them at home,” said Annie McCall, executive director of Our Hospice House. “Our goal is to create a place where families can gather in a home-like environment to spend their last few days with their loved one.”
Our Hospice House is the idea of Jeff and Jennifer Bates. Jeff is a longtime hospice physician in Central Texas and Jennifer is a hospice nurse.
“More than a third of all hospice patients die in a hospital or nursing home setting, and frequently with no one at their bedside,” Jeff Bates said.
The sadness of someone dying alone motivated Jennifer to action.
“When families don’t have the financial means or social infrastructure to care for their loved-ones on hospice, our community will step up,” she said. “Our program is patient-centered, family-oriented and full of the love of Christ.”
The Belton information session was to launch fundraising efforts to open multiple hospice houses in Central Texas, McCall said. Plans under way could enable the group to open its first hospice house in Temple or Belton as early as spring 2023, she said, but more fundraising is needed.
For more information, contact Annie.McCall@OurHospiceHouse.org , Jeff@TheLordsWork.org or visit OurHospiceHouse.org .
