Why is there a need for a home in our community which exclusively supports the dying person and their family?

There are 13 Hospice Provider Agencies bringing home-based hospice services for end-of-life care to people throughout York County.

• Most people hope to remain at home and have hospice services delivered there.
• Hospice services are also brought to people who are living in our nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and an in-patient center.
• In 2013, 39% of York County Medicare beneficiaries who died received hospice care which is below the Pennsylvania state-wide hospice service rate of 46%. This shows a need for improved awareness and access to hospice care in our community.

Pappus House, as an independent non-profit organization, advocates for, and enhances, quality end-of-life experiences for all people while working collaboratively with all hospice providers.

Our hospice providers deliver their many services intermittently and on a regular basis, but they do not provide around-the-clock in-home care routinely.

• A person receiving hospice services eventually requires a primary caregiver and 24/7 support as their medical needs advance.
• Care giving typically comes from family and friends willing and able to take on the responsibility and commitment. Hiring private-duty help for ongoing care is often cost prohibitive and beyond what most families can afford.
• Projected statistics into the future point to a serious shortage of caregivers, especially as the baby boomers age. It is called the “2030 problem” or the “silver tsunami.” The AARP Public Policy Institute estimates there are about 7 family caregiver’s (ages 45 – 64) for each person over 80. By 2030 there will only be 4, and by 2050 there will be fewer than 3. More of us will need help, yet fewer family members will be there to deliver it.

Pappus House helps alleviate this caregiver shortage by providing a home with around-the-clock compassionate care and presence that embraces and affirms both the dying person and their family.

Institutional care is the only option in our York community if a person has no available or able caregivers or their living environment cannot support their special needs at life’s end.

• None of our hospice providers offer a place to live in York County specifically designed for “residential care’ in the final days, weeks, or months of life.
• Local hospitals provide other types of hospice care (acute and short term respite) for a very limited time.
• The only place a person can go who needs constant care giving support is into one of York County’s 16 nursing homes with an average cost of $285 per day for a semi-private shared room.
• Nursing homes are not free – once personal finances are exhausted, a person can apply for Medicaid which will then cover the daily fees.
• In 2012, 65% of York County deaths occurred in hospitals and nursing homes even though 7 out of 10 Americans stated they would prefer to die at home.
• The NHPCO Facts & Figures of 2015 showed that 35.7% of hospice patients died in their private residence while 64.3% died in other facilities such as nursing homes, assisted living, hospitals, and in-patient centers.
• Nursing homes rarely provide the private, home-like, peaceful atmosphere desired by families receiving hospice care. Their goals and focus are on long-term care living.

Pappus House provides a beautiful residential living alternative in a natural peaceful setting for a person in the final stage of their life.

York County’s only home for end-of-life care exclusively dedicated to people in the final stage of terminal illness.

• People deeply desire the comfort and assurance of dying in their own local community within close proximity to family and loved ones where they are anchored by familiar surroundings and extended support.
• The nearest residential home for end-of-life care is 30 miles away in Harrisburg. Travel often casts another burden and precious loss of time.

Pappus House fulfills a long-awaited dream shared by countless others to create a home for end-of-life care right in the community we love and have planted abiding roots in.