No One Dies Alone: Developing A Comfort Care Home for Unhoused, Isolated, and Vulnerable Individuals

This report highlights the development of Grace House Akron, Inc. (GHA) a comfort care home focused on caring for terminally ill individuals who are unhoused, isolated, without caregivers, economically disadvantaged and face end of life alone. GHA is a free-standing home that provides safe housing, a nurturing environment, and round-the-clock personal care while local hospice agencies provide medical management. Successful strategies and lessons learned from creation of the GHA organization in 2016 to the opening in 2022 and operating of the home for 24 months, are discussed. These strategies include: (1) Build strong executive leadership in partnership with a broadly skilled and connected board; (2) Develop a comprehensive and flexible business plan; (3) Identify state licensure regulations and physical facility requirements; (4) Engage foundations, donors, and the local community early and often; (5) Utilize volunteers as an essential part of the team; and (6) Listen to and learn from each resident while identifying their unique needs. We also share four lessons learned from our journey. By sharing these strategies and lessons, we hope to inform others interested in filling gaps in hospice services to vulnerable individuals in their own communities.