Cape Fear Valley Health is providing families with a new hospice care option.
Valley Hospice House, located at 2431 Legion Road, will provide 24-hour specialized care to the terminally ill and dying. Once it opens on Feb. 25, over a year after its blessing ceremony, it will be Cumberland County’s first freestanding hospice house.
“The opening of Valley Hospice House marks a significant step forward in enhancing hospice services for our community,” Susan Dees, Cape Fear Valley Health chief nursing executive, said in the health system’s press release. “This facility is designed to provide high-quality, compassionate end-of-life care in a setting that prioritizes comfort and dignity for both patients and their families.”
Hospice is care provided to patients nearing the end of their lives who have an incurable illness or are not willing to undergo treatment. Instead of curative treatment, hospice provides comfort care through services like pain management as patients go through the process of dying. Normally, this care is provided in the final six months of life.
According to Cape Fear Valley Health’s website, Valley Hospice House features eight “home-like” and private patient suites for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, multiple sclerosis and a handful of other conditions. Valley Hospice House’s website emphasizes that its facilities are “free from the usual noises of a hospital” thanks to the freestanding building about 3 miles from the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
Valley Hospice House provides pain management, nutritional support, bereavement support and other services. Providers include Mayra Draughn, Valley Hospice House’s nursing director and patient care manager, and Dr. Lokesh Marigowda, a palliative and hospice care specialist who will be the medical director and attending physician for all hospice admissions. Social workers and spiritual counselors will also offer non-medical services like spiritual care and help with paperwork.
“We’ve recognized a growing need for dedicated inpatient hospice services in the community, and the Valley Hospice House helps fill that gap by offering a specialized space for those who require more intensive care,” Draughn told CityView.
The most common form of hospice is home hospice, which involves a medical provider or a team of providers performing daily patient home visits and being available by phone 24/7. It is mostly commonly provided for stable patients. Draughn said Cape Fear Valley has been collaborating with community partners to provide home hospice care for years.
However, home hospice care often places a burden on loved ones. In a peer-reviewed survey study of caregivers published in The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, the official journal of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, caregivers emphasized the stress and emotional burnout resulting from their caregiving role. Another study of caregivers’ audio diaries published in the Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association’s journal found caregivers feeling alone in their role.
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization found that caring for caregivers was so necessary that it developed a framework for hospice care teams to include them in a patient’s treatment plan.
That’s why Valley Hospice House features an entire wing for caregivers, called the Family Hospitality Wing. Its amenities include a dining room, welcome area and overnight lodgings. There is also a specialized space for spiritual and grief counseling.
“Valley Hospice House enhances our current palliative care services by providing a dedicated inpatient setting for patients who need additional support beyond what can be managed at home,” Draughn said. “It also gives families peace of mind, knowing that their loved ones are receiving expert, compassionate care in a comfortable environment. For caregivers, it serves as a valuable resource, offering respite services when needed.”
Draughn said families interested in learning more about the Valley Hospice House can call the hospice team directly at 910-609-3380.
“Our team is available to discuss eligibility, answer questions and help determine the best care options for loved ones,” she said.
CityView Reporter Morgan Casey is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Morgan’s reporting focuses on health care issues in and around Cumberland County and can be supported through the CityView News Fund.