VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — For a long time, the Hampton Roads region was without a single freestanding Hospice House, but this year, that changed as the Dozoretz Hospice House of Hampton Roads officially opened its doors.
Now fully accredited, it welcomed its patient Thursday.
“There are people in the community that saw that there was a need for a Hospice House in Hampton Roads, and they were surprised that we didn’t have one,” said Victoria Crenshaw, senior vice president of health and innovation at Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay and Hospice House of Hampton Roads executive director.
A recent report from Old Dominion University suggested that Hampton Roads appeared to be the largest metropolitan statistical area in the nation without a freestanding Hospice House, but now, that’s changed.
“This has been a vision from several years ago and a lot of work to get to where we are today,” Crenshaw said. “Our team has been here preparing, getting ready for that first patient, but making sure everything goes well not only for the patient but for the family as well.”
They are equipped for a variety of cases.
“Any hospice agency that contracts with us can bring their patient here for hospice services for respite,” she said.
Respite care allows caregivers to take a break from their daily responsibilities while their loved one is cared for. The next kind of care is short-term, “if there’s an individual that’s home and can’t be controlled at home with their pain and symptoms, and they need a short stay,” she said.
The last kind of care is the end-of-life.
“The family doesn’t have to worry about being the care provider,” she said. “They can worry about being the wife, the husband the family.”
The 12-room house gives patients a place to relax. For families, there are four fully equipped suites to stay with their loved ones.
“We’re gonna get two patients this week and hopefully after people see this, we’ll get more calls,” Crenshaw said.
Different insurances are accepted, but the house does have an angel fund to help patients who would have to pay out-of-pocket. For more information on ways to donate and volunteer, click here.