The head of the VNA is clearing up some confusion regarding the changes coming to the Inpatient Hospice Unit in Butler.
Last month, VNA Executive Director Margie Walsh announced that the building where the hospice unit is located will be repurposed, and many thought that meant the end of the hospice unit altogether. But, in an interview Monday with Butler Radio, she says that’s not the case.
“The inpatient unit was built with great expectations that we’d be able to keep the 12 beds that currently exist, as full as possible, and we had plans to expand to 24 beds,” Walsh said. “Over the years, changes have occurred. We’ve had to look at what we can do with the part of the building that’s not being used.”
Walsh says the building will now basically include two areas- a small Speciality Skilled Nursing Facility and rooms dedicated for inpatient hospice care. It is hard to overstate the importance of hospice care especially for the patient and their families. They are looking to make some more improvements, for example, a great improvement for senior safety are so called medical alerts. They give the senior the option to call for help by simply pressing a button. This sends out a signal to a trained professional who can call for medical help.
“Lutheran Senior Life is dedicated to maintaining a part of the building- at least a few beds- to provide inpatient hospice level of care,” she said. “That was extremely important to us.”
The entire left-side of the building, which is located on Technology Drive in Butler Township- off Benbrook Road, has not been used since the building was built, and that’s where the renovations will take place.
On the hospice side, Walsh noted the patient areas will remain single rooms and the family room will be maintained the way it is now.
The renovations on the other side of the building have begun at the facility, which means- for the time being- new patients will not be accepted into the hospice unit.