Hudson Valley Hospice Opens its First Hospice Residence to Serve Patients in Dutchess and Ulster Counties

(Poughkeepsie, NY) – Michael Kaminski, President and CEO of Hudson Valley Hospice, announced that the Hudson Valley Hospice House is now open to patients.  Mr. Kaminski added “We are extremely proud that the Hudson Valley Hospice project team was able to successfully secure approvals, design, plan, build, equip, and furnish this wonderful gift to the communities in Dutchess and Ulster Counties in a relatively short timeframe. But the real success of this project comes from our staff of compassionate professionals providing comfort and freedom from pain and anxiety to our patients during their final days. Patients who otherwise would be housed in facilities ill-equipped to correctly handle the complexities of end-of-life care. I have received a large number of congratulatory comments from residents all over both counties, noting that this facility and its programs and staff are long years overdue.”

Mr. Kaminski also noted that anyone can call Hudson Valley Hospice, with no obligation, to discuss the benefits of the Hospice House, care needs, ask questions or request a tour. The Referral Center is open seven days a week and can be reached at 845-240-7555.

The Hudson Valley Hospice House, a spacious and elegantly decorated home-like facility located on seven wooded acres in Hyde Park, just north of Hudson Valley Hospice’s administrative office, offers fourteen private suites, each featuring a large private bathroom, individual room temperature control and convertible chairs and sofas to allow loved ones to stay overnight, while doors in each room open onto a Meditative Garden, offering patients and their loved ones the opportunity to enjoy a peaceful and tranquil outdoor environment. Suites can also be converted for pediatric patient care to meet the extraordinary needs of our youngest patients and their loved ones.

Spacious dining, sitting and gathering rooms offer places to join together in large and small groups, with coffee stations, microwaves and refrigerators available for family use.  A fully staffed kitchen ensures that each patient’s individual dietary needs and cravings are met.  The spa includes a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy tub and offers a variety of therapies and personal care options.

Ray Travis, President and CEO of Mid Hudson Construction Management, the builders of the Hospice House, stated that “When our team was tasked with building the first freestanding hospice inpatient facility in Dutchess and Ulster County, we took the project to heart and wanted to create a place where residents and their families could feel at home while receiving the best care possible.”

Lisa Wilson, Executive Director of Hudson Valley Hospice Foundation shared that “I am truly inspired by everyone who has helped bring the gift of our Hospice House to our community.  No longer will patients and their families have to travel out of the area to receive the vital care that a Hospice House can provide when home is not an option.  Whether it is part of a hospital discharge plan, respite care or a patient needing additional care and support, we are here for our community.”  She went on to say that meeting Hudson Valley Hospice and the Hospice House’s objectives requires financial resources beyond what their annual reimbursement funding provides.  “With a price tag of $10 million dollars and a pandemic overshadowing the planning and building phases, we are still in the midst of a Capital Campaign to ensure that this very special place remains strong and vibrant.  I encourage everyone to join our incredibly generous donors and be a part of this extraordinary project.  Help make a difference in our community for generations to come.

To take a virtual tour and for more information about the Hudson Valley Hospice House, please visit hvhospice.org.  To find out more about how you can help support the Hudson Valley Hospice House, please contact Lisa Wilson at wilsonl@hvhospice.org or 845-240-7607.

About Hudson Valley Hospice

Hudson Valley Hospice is the premier provider of end-of-life care in Dutchess and Ulster Counties, providing compassionate care, programs, services and support to over six hundred individuals and their loved ones, who are faced with a life-limiting illness.  Our clinical staff includes Hospice and Palliative Care Certified Registered Nurses, Board Certified Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Social Workers, Home Health Aides, Spiritual Care Chaplains, Grief and Bereavement Counselors and Volunteers.  Hudson Valley Hospice goes beyond the basic government mandated requirements of hospice care and also offers Music Therapy, End of Life Doulas, Pet Therapy, Reiki and more.  Everything we do is geared toward providing the best quality of life for patients during their final months and weeks, whether they are at home, in our hospice house, nursing home or a hospital, wherever they call home.   To learn more above Hudson Valley Hospice, please visit www.hvhospice.org or call 845-485-2273.

Hospice is a benefit of Medicare, as well as many insurance plans.  Gifts to Hudson Valley Hospice Foundation help to support those who may be uninsured or under-insured and provide for non-formulary drugs, equipment, programs and services and more. To make a gift, visit us at www.hvhospicefoundation.org or call 845-240-7609.