Our Hospice House offers Central Texans compassionate care
By AMY ROGNLIE | Photos courtesy of OUR HOSPICE HOUSE
“When my own father was able to die peacefully in a hospice house in his hometown in Florida, I knew it was time to bring a hospice house project to Central Texas,” said Dr. Jeff Bates, founder of Our Hospice House in Temple. “Our mission at OHH is to provide around-the-clock, family-like home care in a peaceful, compassionate environment where terminally ill residents can live and die with dignity, comfort and grace while being cared for with love — at no cost to those in need.”
Bates, a local hospice internist and pediatrician, and his wife, a hospice nurse and nurse practitioner, provided the vision for Our Hospice House. With a lot of hard work, prayer and the help of generous donors and volunteers, OHH opened in Temple in August 2023, caring for 71 “guests” in their first year. A member of the Omega Home Network Organization, Our Hospice House is one of a kind in Central Texas, with the closest home being in San Antonio.
“There are many homes similar to ours that were not able to open their doors to serve guests as quickly as we did,” said Annie McCall, executive director of OHH. “We are very proud to have founders, board members and an advisory committee offering support and willing to share the vision of the house with the community.”
Our Hospice House is a nonprofit organization and offers faith-based, compassionate end-of-life care at no charge to guests or their families, regardless of income level or ability to pay. The organization’s new permanent home is a beautifully decorated, spacious home, located on three acres in Belton, and can accommodate three guests at a time. Each guest has his or her own bedroom and bathroom. Families can come and go and even spend the night by their loved one’s side on the recliner couch, grab a cup of coffee and a home-baked cookie from the kitchen, or even do some laundry.
Trained caregivers are available 24/7, and local hospice providers come to the house, so family members can relax and be family members instead of caregivers. OHH staff members and volunteers care for their residents’ family members almost as much as they care for the residents; going the extra mile by cooking meals, providing a shoulder to cry on or joining in a moment of prayer during a difficult time.
Family members are encouraged to connect with one another as well as their loved ones, and many friendships have been forged in the time spent at OHH.
“Our Hospice House is not a facility,” McCall said. “We are a home and we want to make everyone as comfortable as possible.”
Future plans include opening more hospice houses in the area, including Waco. Volunteer opportunities include baking items for family members and helping with laundry, yard work, and house cleaning. Retired medical professionals are invited to volunteer. For admission to Our Hospice House, guests must be enrolled with a local hospice provider, have a medical diagnosis with a prognosis of one month or less to live, and have chosen to stop curative treatments.
“We acknowledge death and dying as a natural part of life,” Bates said. “Our work is guided by a compassionate and joyful approach to care and that is at the center of all that we do as we follow the Biblical mandate: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
OUR HOSPICE HOUSE
Phone: 254-500-7123
Email: Annie@OurHospiceHouse.org
Facebook: facebook.com/ourhospicehouse.centraltexas
