Plans for hospice house continue
Plans are well underway for the construction of the Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House, which will be the first such house in our tri-county area. Young & Wieprecht Architecture of Salem recently completed new computer renderings of the house, featured above. The renderings show how welcoming and "home-like" the facility will be, helping patients and their loved ones relax during their stays.
"I had a great aunt who received hospice care, and the hospice staff was always there for her," said architect Bob Young of Young & Wieprecht. "Hospice provides a valuable service, and I know how important it can be to a community. I consider it a privilege to work on this project."
The new house will provide a permanent location for Evergreen, which has been serving local patients for more than 25 years. Current plans call for a 12-bed facility and administrative offices. In 2009, Evergreen cared for nearly 700 patients, a 20-percent increase from 2007.
As of March, donors to the Albany General Hospital Foundation had already contributed $1.6 million toward the $4.33 million goal to build, landscape and equip the facility. The foundation also plans to create a $1 million endowment for patient care so that no one is turned away because of an inability to pay for services.
The house will be located on a 6.67-acre parcel of land located on Waverly Drive at Del Rio Avenue in southeast Albany.
Foundation funds Senior Companion Program
A 2008 population survey by Portland State University showed that 14.5 percent of people living in Linn County are 65 years of age or older, above the statewide percentage of 12.8 percent. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, senior citizens are the fastest growing population segment in Linn County.
As our senior population continues to grow rapidly, ensuring that care is available for those who are homebound and without local family support becomes increasingly important. This is where the Senior Companion Program comes in. Thanks to annual support from the Albany General Hospital Foundation, the program provides "companions" for those who need home visits and help getting to medical appointments, the grocery store and other locations. Companions are carefully screened and are paid a small stipend for their services.
The program provided assistance to approximately 30 Linn County seniors in 2009.
"With the growing number of seniors living and aging in our communities, our program has become more and more essential to the long-term care system," said Suzette Boydston, Senior Companion Program Director. "Senior companions generally provide one-on-one service to the frail, elderly and disabled in our community by way of simple household chores, transportation assistance, friendly visits and much more."
Donors give more than $61,000 to InReach at Winter Gala
The annual InReach Winter Gala in January set a new record, as donors contributed more than $61,000 to help fund the InReach Clinic and other InReach services for low-income families in the Albany area.
"Our guests came together in an amazing show of support for those who cannot afford medical treatment," said Gala hostess Patti Daskalos. "The under and uninsured members of our community will have access to much-needed medical care because of the InReach and Gala supporters!"
Support for InReach continues to be vitally important as the number of patients who need assistance grows every year. Consider the following InReach statistics:
- 1,500 medical patients were served in 2009, compared to 984 in 2008
- 4,188 prescriptions were provided in 2009, compared to 2,628 in 2008
- A new dental initiative served 512 patients
"Right now, today, Albany General Hospital Foundation donors are not waiting to see who will 'fix' the health care problem," said Kevin Ewanchyna, MD, Medical Director for InReach Services. "Because of our InReach volunteers and donors, we are offering a choice for the neediest among us."