One-of-a-kind Hospice unit opens for Ohio veterans

One-of-a-kind Hospice unit opens for Ohio veterans

A new 22-bed hospice unit opening on January 27 at the Ohio Veterans Home in Georgetown will give more Ohio Veterans access to quality, end-of-life care. The Georgetown home is the first Veterans Home in the country offering hospice services in a designated, in-house unit. 

This new program is a public -private partnership between the Ohio Department of Veterans Services and Stein Hospice, a not-for-profit organization based in Ohio with 30 years of experience caring for hospice patients and their families. Because of the unique nature of this partnership, additional state tax dollars will not be necessary to operate the hospice unit. 

Initially, the hospice will create 15 full-time equivalent and four part-time jobs.  The workforce is slated to double as the number of hospice patients increases. “We are pleased to partner with Stein Hospice to provide a new level of specialized care to our veterans and to create quality, new jobs in the Georgetown area,” said Thomas N. Moe, Director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services. 

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new unit is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on January 27. “Anyone who would like to learn more about this partnership with Stein Hospice or the excellent care provided at the Ohio Veterans Homes is welcome to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on the 27th,” said Moe.  “We are proud to offer the comfort and professionalism of hospice care to our veterans and their families in the first dedicated unit of its kind in the country.” 

Stein Hospice was selected to enter into this unique public-private partnership because of its well-established hospice service to Veterans at the state’s other Veterans Home, in Sandusky. Rather than a designated area, Sandusky hospice patients are located throughout the home and are cared for by the on-site Stein staff, who are available around the clock. 

In addition to serving as a state model, Stein recently received national recognition for its service to Veterans. Stein is one of a dozen hospices in the United States to reach the first level of “We Honor Veterans,” a national campaign unveiled in September that focuses on quality veteran care.  

“We have been privileged to work in partnership with the Sandusky Ohio Veterans Home to serve the men and women who so proudly served our country. The partnership with the Georgetown Ohio Veterans Home and Stein Hospice represents an innovative public-private collaborative that was developed to benefit the Veterans in our state,” said Jan Bucholz, president and chief executive officer of Stein Hospice.

The Ohio Veterans Homes in Sandusky and Georgetown are state-operated nursing homes open to honorably discharged Veterans who have been Ohio residents for at least one year during his or her lifetime. The Veteran must be infirm or disabled and incapable of earning a living. The new hospice in Georgetown will accept any eligible Veteran in Ohio who qualifies for hospice care, not just residents of the Ohio Veterans Home. Both homes offer standard nursing home care as well as special care for Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. 

The Sandusky home provides 427 nursing home beds and an additional 293 independent living beds, while Georgetown offers 168 nursing home beds.  Both homes were recognized in 2010 by the Ohio Department of Health for higher-than-average family member satisfaction, and by the US Department of Veterans Affairs for their consistently high level of care.  

A new 22-bed hospice unit opening on January 27 at the Ohio Veterans Home in Georgetown will give more Ohio Veterans access to quality, end-of-life care. The Georgetown home is the first Veterans Home in the country offering hospice services in a designated, in-house unit. 

This new program is a public -private partnership between the Ohio Department of Veterans Services and Stein Hospice, a not-for-profit organization based in Ohio with 30 years of experience caring for hospice patients and their families. Because of the unique nature of this partnership, additional state tax dollars will not be necessary to operate the hospice unit. 

Initially, the hospice will create 15 full-time equivalent and four part-time jobs.  The workforce is slated to double as the number of hospice patients increases. “We are pleased to partner with Stein Hospice to provide a new level of specialized care to our veterans and to create quality, new jobs in the Georgetown area,” said Thomas N. Moe, Director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services. 

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new unit is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on January 27. “Anyone who would like to learn more about this partnership with Stein Hospice or the excellent care provided at the Ohio Veterans Homes is welcome to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on the 27th,” said Moe.  “We are proud to offer the comfort and professionalism of hospice care to our veterans and their families in the first dedicated unit of its kind in the country.” 

Stein Hospice was selected to enter into this unique public-private partnership because of its well-established hospice service to Veterans at the state’s other Veterans Home, in Sandusky. Rather than a designated area, Sandusky hospice patients are located throughout the home and are cared for by the on-site Stein staff, who are available around the clock. 

In addition to serving as a state model, Stein recently received national recognition for its service to Veterans. Stein is one of a dozen hospices in the United States to reach the first level of “We Honor Veterans,” a national campaign unveiled in September that focuses on quality veteran care.  

“We have been privileged to work in partnership with the Sandusky Ohio Veterans Home to serve the men and women who so proudly served our country. The partnership with the Georgetown Ohio Veterans Home and Stein Hospice represents an innovative public-private collaborative that was developed to benefit the Veterans in our state,” said Jan Bucholz, president and chief executive officer of Stein Hospice.

The Ohio Veterans Homes in Sandusky and Georgetown are state-operated nursing homes open to honorably discharged Veterans who have been Ohio residents for at least one year during his or her lifetime. The Veteran must be infirm or disabled and incapable of earning a living. The new hospice in Georgetown will accept any eligible Veteran in Ohio who qualifies for hospice care, not just residents of the Ohio Veterans Home. Both homes offer standard nursing home care as well as special care for Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. 

The Sandusky home provides 427 nursing home beds and an additional 293 independent living beds, while Georgetown offers 168 nursing home beds.  Both homes were recognized in 2010 by the Ohio Department of Health for higher-than-average family member satisfaction, and by the US Department of Veterans Affairs for their consistently high level of care.