Comfort Care Home Update
Hospice Home Update
The FOLCH Hospice Home Committee, consisting of Joanne Dicob, Linda Noftsier, Tina Paczkowski, and Marsha Zehr, had the opportunity to present to the Board of Legislators at their July meeting. During the presentation, we discussed the background research FOLCH has conducted on establishing either a Hospice House or a Comfort Care Home in Lewis County. Initially, with the help of Jerry Cayer, we reached out to Bernier and Carr for information on building such a residence. However, after gathering information from various locations outside the county, we concluded that a Comfort Care Home would better meet the needs of Lewis County residents than a Hospice House.
The next logical step was to find a suitable location for the Comfort Care Home. The location needs to have public water and sewer and ideally be in a quiet, peaceful area. Although we had several locations in mind, they were either unavailable or unsuitable to meet our needs.
We are looking for a safe and efficient building with a comfortable home environment in a quiet location for Lewis County Hospice patients and their families to enjoy.
We have found a building located at 9502 Church Street in Castorland, NY. It is located at the end of Church Street, surrounded by trees. It is quiet and peaceful with minimal traffic on that street.
With the help of Heidi Lehmann (Castorland village mayor), Robin Grunert (village clerk) and Casandra Buell, we were able to schedule a tour of the building.
The building meets our needs and is in excellent condition, thanks to NYS maintenance.
It is essential that we work together with Jerry Cayer, our state legislators, and our county legislators in our efforts to acquire this building.
We, the FOLCH board of directors, all have the same vision for a future hospice home. Our organization has two fund-raising events each year for this purpose. Each year we give the Lewis County Hospice program a large donation ($125,000-$250,000) and we want to continue to give that support to them through the upcoming years.
With time, patience, and funding, we believe that establishing a Comfort Care Home in Lewis County is a realistic goal, and we are thrilled to continue advancing this project.
Joanne Dicob presented a $125,000 check to Gerald Cayer, CEO of the Lewis County Health System, on behalf of the Friends of Lewis County Hospice to help support the Hospice program in Lewis County. This presentation occurred during the FOLCH Board of Directors' annual Epicurean fundraiser, held on Sunday, May 4th, at the Elks Lodge in Lowville.
Friends of Lewis County Hospice is a non-profit organization governed by a 13-member board, dedicated to supporting patients and their families during end-of-life care. Throughout the year, they organize various fundraisers to support their cause. They also maintain the Community Hospice Garden in Memorial Park in Lowville and contribute to Hospice patient care and services by funding comfort care, meals, travel expenses, and other needs that can ease the burden of end-of-life care. Their goal is to ensure that compassionate Hospice care is available to those in need, both patients and their families.
The FOLCH Hospice Home Planning Committee
is excited to be diligently working on the early phases of establishing a Hospice Home for the residents of Lewis County.
Light Up a Life 2024
