By early 2018 residents of Kent County will have a residential hospice center close to home. As part of an agreement between Compass Regional Hospice and University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, Compass began leasing a unit on the third floor at the University of Maryland Medical Center at Chestertown located at 100 Brown Street.
A renovation plan has been developed to transform the vacant unit into a four-bed residential hospice center and is scheduled to open for patient care following months of construction. The newly renovated facility will offer an alternative for Kent County hospice patients who want the security of medical care around the clock but prefer the comfort of a home-like environment.
As Compass Regional Hospice has grown into its role as a regional hospice provider and having considered the current and future needs of the communities served, it became apparent that more convenient access to hospice care was needed in Kent County that included residential hospice beds, much like the Hospice Center in Centreville and the Caroline Hospice Home in Denton.
“We are excited to be able to expand the service we have already been providing in Kent County since becoming the sole provider of hospice services in 2014,” said Heather Guerieri, executive director, Compass Regional Hospice. “Now, in addition to providing hospice care in private residences, nursing homes and assisted living facilities, we will have a four-bed residential hospice center for people who choose routine or continuous levels of care.”
Guerieri added, “We are most grateful to UM Shore Regional Health for helping us respond to the end-of-life needs of Kent County hospice patients and their loved ones through their collaborative efforts and facilitating the lease with Compass, and we will continue to work closely with UM Shore Regional Health when patients are ready to move on to hospice care.”
Compass Regional Hospice will be responsible for providing all aspects of hospice patient care— staffing the unit 24 hours a day, seven days a week and overseeing its operations. Admission to the residential hospice center will be based on greatest need and priority will be given to Kent County residents. Room and board fees billed from Compass are on a sliding scale based on the patient’s ability to pay. Hospital patients who are deemed suitable for admission to residential hospice care must first be discharged from the hospital according to hospital discharge procedures, then admitted to hospice care according to normal hospice admission procedures.
“Compass Regional Hospice provides exemplary hospice care. Providing space for them to expand hospice services in our community ensures our citizens have the services they need most, close to home,” said Ken Kozel, president and CEO, UM Shore Regional Health. “That’s why we at UM Shore Regional Health are very pleased to collaborate with Compass Regional Hospice on a lease agreement, creating an important opportunity to ensure that ‘the right care, in the right place at the right time’ is available to Kent County hospice patients for whom in-home care is not recommended.”
As a non-profit, Compass Regional Hospice depends on donations from the community to close the gap between the actual cost of providing patient care and reimbursement received from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance. Reimbursement does not include room and board at our hospice centers, grief support services offered through the Hope & Healing Center for families of hospice patients and members of the community grieving the loss of a loved one and other patient care services such as the Bridges program.
For more information or to become a hospice supporter, call Compass Regional Hospice at 443-262-4100 or visit the hospice website.
[…] Compass Regional Hospice to install a four-bed hospice center in the hospital, as detailed in a recent Spy article. He described it as a win-win for the two facilities, with the hospital providing support services […]