MISSION

Hospice of Rutherford County is a nonprofit health care agency providing physical, emotional and spiritual care for terminally ill patients and their families.  Hospice is also committed to offering grief counseling for any adult, teen or child in the community who has lost a loved one and to serving as the resource for end-of-life education and care.

HISTORY

In 1982, a group of concerned citizens established Hospice to ensure area residents could die with dignity surrounded by the people and things that give life meaning.  Thousands of patients and families have received quality end-of-life care since that time.  The Hospice team of nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers, counselors, chaplains and volunteers is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Families also receive bereavement counseling a year after their loved ones’ death.  

VISION

Throughout its twenty year history, Hospice has responded to identified community needs with additional programs.  The agency has grown dramatically as the result, and the people of Rutherford County depend on Hospice. The demand for services and education continue to steadily increase.  Hospice is intending to construct a six-inpatient suite addition to the current 12-suite Hospice House for terminally ill patients that will also contain a chapel and children’s area.

Since opening the Hospice House in September 2004, over 317 inpatient level and 111 residential level patients have been served.  The facility is now at 100% occupancy, and there is often times a waiting list. 

Hospice also intends to construct a 15,000 square foot Volunteer Training Center that can be utilized by other groups in the community.  The Center will seat 400 people, contain a commercial kitchen to serve the Hospice House, families, volunteers, staff and groups, and serve as a multimedia facility with teleconferencing capabilities.  There is currently no other facility of its kind in the community and is expected to be utilized virtually every day by the over 275 hospice volunteers, other non profit groups, churches, businesses, health care professionals and others.  The goal of the Training Center is to ultimately improve the lives of the people of Rutherford County by having an appropriate facility in which to educate as many as possible regarding quality end of life care, grief counseling and caregiving.  The facility will also provide a home for Hospice volunteers where they can accomplish their duties, receive necessary training and ongoing recognition.  The facility will also enable Hospice to increase funding for Hospice and palliative care by having a venue to conduct multiple fundraising events.  The final goal is to provide the most technologically advanced site in the community for other organizations to utilize for educational and meeting purposes.