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Star Hospice House ready for opening

Chautauqua Hospice and Palliative Care announced the completion of the Star Hospice House, Chautauqua County’s first dedicated hospice facility, and will celebrate its grand opening on Feb. 8.

Serving as many as 200 patients per year, the Star Hospice House also includes rooms and living spaces for families to rest, prepare meals, and focus on their loved one.

While most patients would prefer hospice care in their home, complex medical needs or the lack of an available caregiver may force patients into a nursing home — a significant disruption in the middle of an already difficult time. The Star Hospice House is devoted to providing compassionate care in a setting designed to reduce stress for both the patient and their family.

“Thanks to our incredible donors, Chautauqua County will have a Hospice House for the first time increasing our ability to deliver superior care in a homelike setting that is safe and compassionate,” said Shauna Anderson, president and CEO of Chautauqua Hospice & Palliative Care. “Completing The Star Hospice House serves a profound need in our community and realizes a longstanding dream of CHPC to build a caring environment devoted to both patients and their families.”

The project began in 2019 when hospice purchased a home adjacent to its Lakewood office with the intent of renovating it for a dedicated hospice facility. Despite supply chain challenges and in the middle of a global pandemic, Hospice exceeded its own fundraising goals with more than $2.7 million in donations.

“The Star Hospice House will be more than a medical facility,” said Laura McCollough, RN, who was hired in 2021 to serve as the inaugural Residence Director of The Star Hospice House. “Our goal is to provide the best care possible in a calm, home-like environment for patients and their families. Staff will be trained on our patient-centered philosophy and policies to prepare them to best meet patients’ needs with compassion and flexibility.”

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