A Compassionate Journey

“You matter to the last moment of your life, and we will do all we can, not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die.”

Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice movement

An incredible gift to give Since 1980, Merrimack Valley Hospice has been on a compassionate journey to help patients pass from this life with respect, dignity and comfort.

Three years ago, we took a significant step forward by opening the region’s first freestanding hospice facility. Merrimack Valley Hospice House is currently one of only five licensed in the state to provide acute inpatient care. Since opening, the Hospice House has had a profound impact on more than 1,300 patients and their families. It has proven to serve a critical role in the healthcare continuum for patients who cannot be cared for at home and don’t need or want to die in an institutional setting. This role will become even more significant in the coming years of dramatic healthcare reform.

Today, with the original 14 suites operating at or near capacity, we are often forced to turn away patients and their families. Licensed as a 21-bed hospice facility, the Hospice House is ready for its second planned phase – the addition of another seven private patient suites. Completion of this second phase will allow us to care for more families with a goal to eliminate the words “waiting list” for a family facing the final days of a loved one’s life.

It was through the generous support of extraordinary individuals, foundations and businesses in our region that we were able to fulfill the first phase of our dream to create Merrimack Valley Hospice House. Those gifts made an immeasurable difference in the lives of the people who have benefited from the care and support made possible by such generosity. (You’ll read about a few of them in this report.)

Now, we ask that you help continue the journey to ensure that no one is turned away from compassionate end-of-life care because there are no rooms available.

Your gift is a gift of time for these patients and their loved ones – quality time to say their goodbyes and create final, lasting memories of peace, comfort and togetherness.

We hope you join us. Time is an incredible gift to give.

Sincerely,

John G. Albert, MBA, FACHE President/CEO Merrimack Valley Hospice

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“Our clinicians provide the skilled and complex specialized medical care for conditions that in other care settings would force patients to return to the hospital. By exquisitely managing pain and other symptoms, we help our patients and families write a better ending to their story.”

JoAnne Nowak, M.D., Medical Director, Merrimack Valley Hospice

Although hospice has traditionally

cared for patients in their own homes,

in many situations care at home is

not possible. A hospice house offers

terminally ill patients a comfortable,

family-friendly alternative to a

hospital or other facility. Trained

hospice professionals – including

physicians, registered nurses,

nursing assistants, chaplains, social

workers and volunteers – provide

comprehensive end-of-life care

24 hours a day, seven days a week.

When home is no longer an option At 90 years young, Al Jasukonis was a proud and independent man with a quick humor and a love of telling stories, debating politics and cheering for the Red Sox. But when debilitating congestive heart failure and repeated hospitalizations left him weak and unable to take care of himself, he was referred to Merrimack Valley Hospice. Hospice staff kept him comfortable as home health aides helped with dressing and bathing, allowing Al to remain in his home for several months. But as Al’s condition worsened, the strain of 24/7 care for him took a toll on his sons Gary (his primary caregiver) and Jeff.

“As much as I wanted to keep my father at home, there was a point that I just couldn’t do it anymore,” Gary said. “I was physically and mentally exhausted and at the end of my rope. Yet, I could not put him in another facility; he hated that.”

Merrimack Valley Hospice House was there for them. With the physician and nursing team managing his pain and symptoms and administering his medications, Al was comfortable and happy. Gary and Jeff would bring all their dad’s favorite foods, and spend time with him relaxing in his spacious private suite, cheering on his favorite baseball teams. The family tension of constant care giving was gone.

After seven comfortable days at the Hospice House, Al died peacefully. Knowing that Al died pain free and happy was very comforting for the family who worked so hard to care for Al during his extended illness. Without the Hospice House, Al would have ended his last days in a hospital or nursing home.

“Dad was happy there, and that means the world to us,” Gary said. “I don’t know what we would have done without Merrimack Valley Hospice House.”

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Hospice is a form of compassionate, comprehensive care for patients who are facing a terminal illness that is no longer responding to curative treatment. It is considered the model of care for end of life – designed to improve the quality of life by meeting physical, social and emotional needs of patients, and providing grief and bereavement support to families and loved ones.

Hospice care is provided by a team of professionals who are specially trained in pain and symptom control and other comfort measures. It enhances end-of-life care and allows patients to maintain a sense of dignity and to live their final days to the fullest in a comfortable and supportive environment. The focus is on caring – not curing.

“We enable the family to just be the family, relieving them of the pressure of being the caregivers. So a husband doesn’t need to worry about alarms, proper nutrition or medication doses. He can just hold his wife and be the husband.”

Candy French, RN, BSN, Director of Merrimack Valley Hospice House

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Located on 39 beautiful, wooded acres in Haverhill, MA, Merrimack Valley Hospice House provides compassionate, specialized medical care and supportive services to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients, and grief and bereavement services to families and loved ones. As one of only five licensed acute care hospice residences in the state, we can address intense medical needs with compassion, in a home-like setting.

With warm colors, natural light and beautiful artwork and appointments, the Hospice House is designed to make patients and their visitors feel welcomed and comfortable, as they would in a private home. Visits can include spending time together in a spacious suite or experiencing the comforting beauty of the gardens, woodlands and walkways outdoors. Each of the private suites has a sitting area and sleep sofa to allow family and visitors to relax or visit at any time.

With large windows and a skylight, patients can bask in sunlight during the day and gaze at the stars overhead at night. Oversized doors allow beds to be wheeled outside where patients and families can visit on a private patio or beside the lush gardens. The Hospice House also features a fun play area for children with glass walls so parents can relax nearby with a cup of coffee in front of the fireplace, or in the spacious café.

Merrimack Valley Hospice House brings together the very best experts, including physicians board certified in hospice and palliative care; nurses; social workers; counselors; aides; volunteers; expressive therapists; and bereavement counselors. This team recognizes that each person’s end-of-life journey is different, and creates an individualized care plan tailored to each patient’s needs and wishes. The team is available around the clock, yet they are unobtrusive, allowing patients and families the space they need to spend time together in ways that are meaningful.

“Losing Richie was painful enough. I couldn’t handle the thought of him dying in excruciating pain in a hospital bed, with monitors beeping and tubes and wires everywhere. You want to know your loved one is comfortable and in no pain, that they’ll be taken care of by the best doctors and nurses, and that they’ll be able to pass away in peace – in the most beautiful surroundings that feel like a home away from home. That’s exactly what we got at Merrimack Valley Hospice House.”

Bud Caulfi eld, whose brother-in-law Richie died peacefully at Merrimack Valley Hospice House in December 2011

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Merrimack Valley Hospice House is a setting exclusively designed for end-of-life care, with indoor and outdoor dining areas, a sanctuary, libraries, wireless internet access, computers, and a spa and water therapy room. It provides a warm, serene setting for families to gather together for support, as well as quiet, private spaces for reflection and solitude. Families truly make themselves at home, doing laundry, bringing their pets for visits, and staying overnight as often as they wish.

Able to treasure every moment Nothing brought more joy to Dorothy Graham’s life than being surrounded by her children and grandchildren. When she suffered a third stroke and it became clear that she would not recover, family members traveled from around the country to say goodbye to their beloved Nana. Bob Graham was devastated at the thought of his mother dying in a hospital or nursing home with limited visiting hours.

“When word came from Merrimack Valley Hospice House that ‘We have a room for your mother,’ I can’t tell you what a relief and blessing it was,” Bob says. “I couldn’t imagine in her final days being told we were on a waiting list because there wasn’t a room available.”

With unlimited visiting hours at the Hospice House, the 15 grandchildren all gathered together comfortably in her large private suite, serenading Dorothy with her favorite country songs. The children and grandchildren felt welcome to make themselves at home, getting snacks from the well-stocked kitchen, watching movies or reading books in the library, and staying overnight in her room.

“We knew what it meant to come here, and there is sadness in that,” says Bob’s wife, Donna. “But the minute we walked through the door, there was an immediate feeling of serenity and peace and caring. And for our time here, we were able to focus on being together, sharing good memories and treasuring every moment.”

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Expansion area

Existing campus

Proposed fl oor plan of the full 21 suites at Merrimack Valley Hospice House

Continuing ou journey, flfilling ou omise Merrimack Valley Hospice House fi lls a key void in the healthcare system in our region. We experienced that void several years ago when my nephew went from being a seemingly healthy six-year-old to living out his last few heartbreaking months with an inoperable brain tumor. The horrible toll it took on our entire family was made even more diffi cult without the availability of local inpatient hospice care. It would have been a wonderful place for our family to come together to spend our fi nal time with him, with the caring professionals keeping him comfortable as they provided the family with much-needed support in facing an incomprehensible loss.

Today, families don’t have to face that journey alone. Merrimack Valley Hospice House is one of only two facilities in the state of Massachusetts licensed for both adult and pediatric inpatient hospice care. It is a place where families can spend quality time as family members instead of serving the role as medical caregivers. Merrimack Valley Hospice House provides the care families need, just when they need it most.

The generous individuals and businesses in our region made Merrimack Valley Hospice House a reality three years ago. Today, demand for the Hospice House often is exceeding capacity and families are being turned away. As the Hospice House helps patients complete their journey in life, we need your help to ensure that we continue to be available – now and in the future – for the families who need us.

Scott Cote, co-chair Campaign for Merrimack Valley Hospice House

“It is every special little touch and detail that make all the difference at Merrimack Valley Hospice House. Over my mother- in-law’s bed was a beautiful skylight where you could look up and see the blue sky or watch the stars at night. One afternoon, just before she passed, I was sitting next to her and looked up and saw her perfectly framed in the reflection of the skylight, with the sky and clouds behind her. I felt like I was watching her go to heaven. It is an image I will always remember and treasure.”

Donna Graham

Ways of giving Merrimack Valley Hospice House was originally built with the generous and compassionate support of donors and friends. Your contribution, in a form that’s best for you, will help to expand our caring to more patients and families.

The following may assist you in choosing a gift to Merrimack Valley Hospice House that will enable you to take full advantage of the income and estate tax benefits that are allowed under law.

This is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered tax, legal or financial advice. Please consult your financial representatives about your particular situation.

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The need to continue the journeyMerrimack Valley Hospice House opened in June 2009 in response to a community-wide need for a licensed facility to provide comprehensive end-of-life care in a comfortable, home-like environment for patients and their families.

Licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for a 21-bed hospice facility, the Hospice House was designed for a two-phase construction: an initial phase of 14 suites, with a second phase of seven additional suites at a time when occupancy and the demand for services exceeded capacity.

That time is now.

In 2011 Merrimack Valley Hospice engaged Fazzi Associates of Northampton, MA, to conduct an independent market analysis to assess the need to expand the Hospice House. An analysis of occupancy rates and trends, national and regional hospice care data, and other hospice-related healthcare trends confirmed the necessity to expand the Hospice House to the full 21-suite capacity.

Merrimack Valley Hospice House has been operating at or near capacity for more than a year. Having to tell a family that there is not a bed available is heartbreaking. The expansion of seven more rooms means an estimated 800 more patients each year will be able to spend their last days in the safety, comfort, and peace of the Hospice House. In addition to expanding the physical space, the Campaign for Merrimack Valley Hospice House will also benefit a patient care fund, providing support for expenses not covered by insurance, such as subsidized care and bereavement counseling for families.

The Campaign for Merrimack Valley Hospice House will support more patients and families in northeastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire with specialized end-of-life care when home is no longer an option. It will enable access at a time when the unique services and setting of the Hospice House are most valuable, providing patients and their loved ones time together in peace and comfort.

Pledges Many donors pledge their support to Merrimack Valley Hospice House, enabling a larger gift that is payable across several years. We recommend a three-year pledge.

Cash Contributions An outright gift of cash is fully tax-deductible and may be made as a single payment or on a pledge schedule.

Gifts of Appreciated Property (stocks, bonds, real estate) When you donate property that you’ve held for more than a year, your gift is exempt from capital gains taxes. Your donation amount and charitable deduction are based on the fair market value of the asset at the time of your gift.

Life Insurance Designating Merrimack Valley Hospice as the owner and beneficiary of your life insurance policy is an effective way to make a major contribution to the Campaign.

Planned Giving A planned gift allows you to maximize your contribution while enjoying specific income and estate tax benefits. Charitable remainder trusts, or charitable gift annuities provide income and tax benefits to you while supporting the campaign.

Matching Gifts Many companies have a matching gift policy that may as much as double an employee’s contribution. Check with your employer’s human resource department for relevant information and forms to take advantage of this benefit.

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Help us say “Yes”Merrimack Valley Hospice House is truly a special place. Very few facilities or options come close to providing the kind of experiences that our patients and their loved ones have when at the Hospice House.

The Hospice House was designed to scale from the original 14 suites built in 2009 to 21 suites, once time and experience proved the need in our community. With so many families turning to us on any given day – more than 1,300 since the Hospice House opened – both our trusted reputation and the demand has grown quickly, resulting in patients being turned away or placed on waiting lists at their most vulnerable time.

Our patients and their loved ones tell us time and again of the importance of hearing “Yes, we have a suite available.” The need for such specialized care in the unique setting offered at Merrimack Valley Hospice House is clearer than ever. By supporting the expansion of care, you can help turn the last days spent with loved ones into times of comfort and personal connections. Help us say “Yes” to more people with your donation to the Campaign for Merrimack Valley Hospice House.

Mary Jane Werner, co-chair Campaign for Merrimack Valley Hospice House

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“At Merrimack Valley Hospice House, we had quality time for as long as we possibly could have. It was such a meaningful, positive experience at a time I wouldn’t think that was possible. Thank God they were here - I honestly can’t think what this experience would have been like without them.”

Buffy Pritchard

“An incredible gift when we needed it most ” Juggling a busy life with two demanding careers and two young daughters, Stephen and Buffy Pritchard had many plans for their family’s future. One thing they couldn’t have imagined was preparing for Stephen’s death at just 45 years of age. But that is what they faced after cancer ravaged his once-healthy body.

As Stephen’s condition declined and he was left paralyzed and unable to walk, Buffy realized he could not remain at home. She was terrified that she physically couldn’t help him if he fell, and it was important that her husband maintain his dignity in front of their young daughters, ages 6 and 8.

Merrimack Valley Hospice House was nothing less than an answer to their prayers. With spacious, comfortable surroundings and a supportive staff, Buffy and their daughters immediately felt welcome and right at home. The girls pushed Stephen in his wheelchair outside, rode their scooters on the winding paths around the building, and were able to enjoy their time with their daddy. “It gave our family the space and time and a place to do the more important things. We had visits that were very special family times - we played board games, watched movies, ordered pizza,” Buffy said, smiling at the memory.

For Buffy, they were treasured weeks for her to cherish the time with her soul mate and best friend. “We actually got to be a couple. I didn’t have to be Steve’s caretaker. I could just be his wife, which is something I couldn’t do at home during his illness. That was really meaningful and very important.”

With the help of physicians, nurses, counselors and therapists on staff, supported by the calming and serene environment, the family was able to overcome their fears and share loving conversations that prepared all of them for what was coming. The closeness they felt and the ability to see Stephen die peacefully and without pain has had a lasting impact on the family.

“It was so peaceful and very normalizing at a time that wasn’t normal, and that was an incredible gift when we needed it most.”

Founded in 1980, Merrimack Valley Hospice is a not-for-profit organization that is focused on providing end-of-life care and comfort for patients. We provide skilled nursing care, pain control and symptom management, personal care, grief and bereavement counseling and supportive services for patients and their families in the Merrimack Valley, northeastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire regions. Our multidisciplinary teams of doctors, nurses, therapists, counselors, and home health aides combine the latest in clinical skills to deliver care with compassion and a commitment to excellence. Hospice care is provided to patients wherever they live – at their own home, at extended living centers, hospitals and nursing facilities – or at Merrimack Valley Hospice House in Haverhill, MA.

Merrimack Valley Hospice House

360 North Avenue

Haverhill, MA 01830

Merrimack Valley Hospice

360 Merrimack St., Bldg. 9

Lawrence, MA 01843

For more information on the Campaign

for Merrimack Valley Hospice House, call

Donna Deveau at 978-552-4162 or email

ddeveau@homehealthfoundation.org.

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“Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind us is not as important as how we have lived.”

A�liated with Home Health VNA and HomeCare, Inc.Merrimack Valley Hospice

Campaign for Merrimack Valley Hospice House

978-552-4162 • www.MerrimackValleyHospice.org