Homestead Hospice House

[MUSIC PLAYING] On the outskirts of Owatonna under a glorious old windmill sits a special place of comfort for people in the final stages of their life journey. The Homestead Hospice House is a home where terminally ill people find comfort and reassurance. It's a place where people can live out their remaining days in a calm, peaceful setting surrounded by caring staff.

The Homestead Hospice House started with the community's dream in 1987. This dream became a reality when plans for the house were in place, and the fundraising began. The house would be built by the community for those who chose hospice services as a companion during their final days or months of life. The house opened in April 2005.

Homestead Hospice House focuses on people in their final days, and it's a place where their loved ones can find comfort and reassurance. Homestead Hospice House was designed to be a place that feels like home. The staff at the house specializes in helping patients live each of their days in happiness, comfort, dignity, and peace.

The caring staff assists to relieve anxieties that a resident or their family may experience. To be a resident at the Homestead House, an individual must be enrolled in a hospice program. Hospice care is available with a referral from a physician.

Generally, the patient has a life expectancy of six months or less based upon the physician's best judgment. Many conditions can be related to an end-of-life diagnosis. Some of these conditions include Alzheimer's, heart and liver disease, cancer, COPD, ALS, and Parkinson's.

Patients may remain in their own home or a care facility and be served by a hospice care team wherever they live. Some patients and families choose to move from home or a care facility to become a resident at Homestead Hospice House. Daily room and board fees are paid by the resident and family or some long-term care insurance plans. There's a community supported patient care fund for those who meet financial criteria.

The house has eight furnished private rooms, a full kitchen serving hot meals and snacks, a quiet reflection room, and a sunny living room and dining room for residents and families to enjoy. The family room is equipped with its own bath and kitchenette. Some residents enjoy the heavenly whirlpool tub. There's always a space to be alone or to interact with others.

At Homestead Hospice House, the specially trained care team provides medical support and 24-hour care for the resident. While at Homestead, family members spend time being family. While staff provide the primary nursing care.

Patients spend their last days in a home-like setting, not in a clinic or ER, not waiting for a call from the doctor. Homestead Hospice House is a very caring place where many meaningful moments are experienced. These moments are fostered by the staff's hospitality, empathy, and support for the residents and their loved ones so final days together can be enjoyed and treasured. The house is a beautiful setting, and the caring experience is remembered with fondness and with gratitude.

Family members willingly speak about the difference the staff at Homestead Hospice House has made in their lives at a delicate time. The staff becomes so much more than qualified professionals for the resident and family. On the scenic grounds, there are benches, a gazebo for sitting and listening to the birds, a walking path, and expansive gardens tended by volunteers, and peaceful scenery for residents, family, and friend to enjoy and soak in the beauty.

It is the mission of the Homestead Hospice House simply to be a non-profit option in our community for end-of-life care. Hospice celebrates life journeys with the proper dignity and respect, while making memories that will comfort the families left behind for years to come. Each one of us matters through the end of life. Hospice helps one die peacefully but also helps one live fully until death.

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