Hospice of North County to Unveil New Residence

The following is an announcement from Hospice of the North Coast:

Hospice of the North Coast (HNC) will hold a Grand Opening of its sparkling new, six-bedroom, in-patient Pacifica House residence at 4411 Park Drive in Carlsbad from 4-6 pm on July 12, 2013.  The event is free and open to the public. RSVP at 760-431-4100.

The Grand Opening will feature introductions of agencies and people who helped take Pacifica House from dream to reality, brief presentations, a ribbon-cutting, refreshments, entertainment and tours of the facility, which will welcome its initial patients in late Fall 2013. Also debuting at the Grand Opening is HNC’s Stories from the Heart Journal, an interactive publication that opens a window into the people who serve and are served by HNC while offering users an opportunity to contemplate and chronicle their own life’s journey; all in a handy resource guide format.

HNC Executive Director Nerice Kaufman states, “We are eager to share much good news with the community at this event. Pacifica House will fill a desperately-needed healthcare niche while fulfilling a longtime dream of our nonprofit hospice that has served North County for three-plus decades. This residence will be the first freestanding in-patient facility in the area. It will extend our mission of helping people have a peaceful life-through-death experience by offering a welcome end-of-life home for terminally ill patients who, due to safety, security, financial or other concerns, might otherwise have to die a lonely death in a hospital room.”

Earlier this year, HNC seized an opportunity created by the State Legislature’s adoption of Senate Bill 135, which, effective January 2013, made licensing of a freestanding hospice house far less cumbersome.  Also in January, HNC was awarded a $1,065,000 Community Development Block Grant from the City of Carlsbad toward the $1,250,000 purchase of the nearly 4,500-square-foot property, which was built in 2003 as a residential care facility for the elderly. Currently, the agency has received accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accredited Health Organizations (JACHO). Once it receives final licensure from the State, Pacifica House will formally open.

City of Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall, who is scheduled to speak at the Grand Opening, states, “Hospice of the North Coast has demonstrated its commitment to serving terminally ill clients, their families and the community since 1980. The City is pleased to partner with this worthy, Carlsbad-based organization to offer a welcome home for people to die in peace and comfort.”                                    

Many area organizations and businesses, such as the Oceanside Museum of Art, which is providing artwork for the event, are donating time and resources to make Pacifica’s Grand Opening truly grand. On June 22nd, Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary is painting interiors and contributing charming amenities such as bird feeders outside patient rooms. North Coast Church is constructing a pergola, bench seating and other outdoor features. Community Service Pastor Connor McFadden says that he and his crew of 10-20 people look forward to “our day of service at Pacifica on June 29th. We plan to transform the back yard into a peaceful, inviting place to be.”

Patient rooms are being designed for the event by Ethan Allen Design Center of San Marcos, ASID SD Industry Partners, ASID San Diego Chapter, and the Design Institute of San Diego. Ethan Allen Senior Design Center Manager Justin Peteris states, “As a leader in creating beautiful, functional lifestyles specific to people’s homes, Ethan Allen is happy to work with HNC in creating a well-designed, restful patient room in which a person can spend their final days.” Installation is slated to take place on or about July 9th-10th. 

Kaufman reveals that already, some generous donors have taken advantage of naming opportunities for patient rooms. She notes, “Several additional naming and giving opportunities are available. The funds will enable us to offer patients continuity of palliative care in a tranquil environment with around-the-clock care.”

The Grand Opening will be both poignant and promising, Kaufman believes. “We have arrived full circle from our inception in 1980 when Father Paul Camm of St. Andrew’s Church in Encinitas organized congregation members to help care for a terminally ill congregant in her home. When curative care becomes futile, most people wish to spend their last days ensconced in the familiar warmth of their own home. That is precisely what Pacifica House is intended to provide. We are improving the status of healthcare not only for individuals, but for the entire community. That is why we welcome community members at what is sure to be a memorable event.”

Nonprofit Hospice of the North Coast was established in 1980 to fill the need for comprehensive, compassionate hospice care in North County San Diego. Since its inception, it has grown in services, staff and clients. It currently provides a full spectrum of programs to terminally ill clients and their families, including anticipatory and post-death bereavement support, as well as a Pathways Program for those with a declining chronic disease. To fulfill its goal of maintaining dignity, comfort and highest quality of life for those it serves, regardless of ability to pay, HNC hosts fundraising events, operates a family support camp and resale shop, and maintains a cadre of volunteers.