The Church of the Brethren Home, in conjunction with Windber Hospice at the Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber (CSSMCW), has created a Comfort Care Suite to serve as a more private setting with comfort care during the last days of life.
The Comfort Care Suite features special, family-friendly accommodations, including a private patient room; an adjoining family room; 24/7 access for loved ones; a friendly, homelike atmosphere; tables and chairs for meals and family meetings; comfortable lounge chairs and recliners; a pull-out bed; and a flat-screen TV.
Emily Reckner, Director of Social Services/Personal Care Administrator for the Church of the Brethren Home Director, said, “The Church of the Brethren Home focuses on quality of life, to provide comfort to our residents during different stages of a person’s illness. While we do have protocol on addressing the resident’s needs, we wanted to do more to provide for the residents and families in the community who are going through this difficult time.”
The Church of the Brethren Home reached out to Windber Hospice at CSSMCW, the region’s pioneers in hospice care, in seeking guidance in providing a serene atmosphere. Windber Hospice assisted in the creation of developing a tranquil environment the Church of the Brethren Home for their residents and residents’ families in their end of life journeys.
Kristie Berkebile, RN, Manager of Windber Home Health and Hospice at CSSMCW, said, “Windber Hospice is grateful for the opportunity to assist Church of the Brethren Home with their efforts in providing comfort care. We are excited to shine a light on the importance of palliative care when facing a life-limiting illness.”
The Comfort Care Suite is part of the Church of the Brethren Home skilled nursing facility and is reserved for residents who are seriously ill and at imminent death. They do not need to be enrolled in a hospice program to be transferred to this suite.
About the Church of the Brethren Home
The Church of the Brethren is a non-profit continuing care community serving the needs of the aging adults by providing quality health care, spiritual enrichment, comfortable residency, and an environment meeting social, spiritual and emotional needs. For more information, visit www.cbrethren.com.
About Windber Hospice at Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber
Windber Hospice has been providing compassionate care in the comfort of patients’ homes for nearly 40 years. Being the first palliative care program in Pennsylvania and the first rural hospice in the country, Windber Hospice covers all of Somerset, Cambria, and Bedford Counties. Windber Hospice continues to maintain a non-profit status. Through experienced, dedicated staff, Windber Hospice excels in treating patients holistically and specializes in combining traditional medicine with complementary integrative therapies. For more information visit www.windbercare.org.