The Rotary Club of Akron had the extreme pleasure of listening to Ms. Holly Klein RN at our Tuesday, October 19, 2021, weekly Club meeting. Ms. Klein has been a Registered Nurse for the past 22 years. Thirteen of these years has been dedicated to working with terminally ill individuals participating in a hospice program. It was this experience that was the Impetus to the creation of Grace House.
View the meeting and this presentation by clicking here or copy and paste this link into your browser https://youtu.be/2BE2TXSVpZU
HISTORY Ms. Klein routinely witnessed patients falling through the gaps of the healthcare system – and even larger gaps created for the underprivileged and under-insured while working in hospice management. Motivated by the belief that all individuals deserve a death with dignity, Klein and Cofounders Cindy and Nicholas Browning (fellow Rotarian) founded Grace House Akron, Inc. as a new not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization in 2017.
The Grace House team spent the next couple of years developing the organization and its innovative service model, to provide an accepting, caring environment for individuals with terminal illnesses who would otherwise spend their days alone or in undesirable conditions.
Grace House joined the Omega Home Network (omeganetwork.org), a national consortium that promotes the development/expansion of homes for dying individuals that reflect the spirit of the communities that create and sustain them.
Grace House adapted the Omega Home Network governing philosophy that such homes are:
- designed for and totally focused on care at the end of life
- staffed by paid caregivers and
- supported by community volunteers not medical facilities
In 2019 a parcel of land in downtown Akron was donated by Summa Health, providing the future site for their “comfort care home”. Grace House initiated in 2020 a capital campaign for the construction of Grace House Akron. Grace House held a groundbreaking on September 15 2021, and looks forward to serving their first residents in 2022.
Mission of Grace House – Akron
The mission of Grace House Akron is to provide a loving home for indigent, homeless and abandoned individuals at the end of life. The home provides safe shelter, care with dignity and compassion, and a nurturing environment for individuals with a terminal illness.
Programs and Services:
Grace House serves terminally ill individuals, many of whom are indigent, homeless, or housing insecure, and who are:
- enrolled in a hospice program
- alone or without a supportive caregiver
- uninsured or under-insured
Grace House staff will serve as surrogate, extended family members to residents, while local hospice programs will provide medical management and quality end-of-life care. Residents will be ushered through the end of life with dignity and peace, receiving 24/7 comfort care and support and all basic needs from staff and specially trained volunteers.
All Grace House services are free-of-charge, allowing individuals to pass peacefully without financial barriers to care. They will offer:
- pet therapy
- music and art therapy
- therapeutic massage
- spiritual care
- vigil companions
- self-care for families and staff
The average length of stay for someone entering a hospice program is 89 days.
Experiential Learning Program
Grace House is partnering with educational, healthcare, and hospice experts and agencies to serve area students with important hands-on learning opportunities in hospice and palliative care fields.
This hands-on experience will help future healthcare professionals understand how to meet the needs of underserved, terminally ill individuals, in an environment that values and promotes listening, respect and human dignity. Medical, nursing and health science students will gain a deeper understanding of the importance of dialogue and “being present” during end-of-life care.
NEOMED students will be the first to participate in the experiential learning experience. RN Klein stated that the program will expand to other disciplines as the program expands into their new facility in early 2022.
Capital Campaign
Grace House is currently engaged in a capital campaign to raise $3,550,000 for the construction and operation of a six-bedroom comfort-care home, with appropriate care and respect.
For additional information on Grace House and/or their Capital Campaign (Built on Love) check out their website at www.gracehouseakron.org/built-on-love.
Yours in Rotary Service -
Terry Dalton
Rotary Club of Akron Secretary and Scholarship Chair
