The home provides room and board and 24-hour caregiving free of charge for people at the end of their lives.
Chaplain Chaz Blackburn, the foundation board’s vice president, said housing and the cost burden on family caregivers are some of the biggest challenges to accessing care.
“We’ve actually had two people from the rural areas where the family could not get caregivers out there,” Blackburn said. “It became too much, and they were falling, and they could not just take care of their loved one.”
Insurance covers hospice care, but you must have a permanent residence.
“So if you’re sleeping out of your car or at the Cares campus, even if you’re dying, you do not qualify to get those benefits that are owed to you,” Blackburn said. “When we talk about housing, this is critical, and especially for seniors.”
It is super meaningful to have someone by your side when you die, Blackburn said.
“There’s so many people that die alone. We have designed a home-like setting,” Blackburn said. “Our first guest that passed, that individual actually died in the arms of a loving caregiver. That’s what it’s all about – hope and dignity, and just loving these people and being present.”
The foundation hopes to fill 100 volunteer positions. There are currently three beds, and within the next two years, it plans to expand by 15 to 20 beds.
