Fort Lauderdale, July 26, 2005—The death of respected Fort Lauderdale nursing home administrator Richard LaParl has prompted the rededication of the VITAS inpatient hospice unit at Fort Lauderdale Health and Rehabilitation Center.

A ceremony attended by some 75 healthcare professionals and other honored guests on Tuesday, July 26, marked the renaming of the unit to the Richard LaParl VITAS Inpatient Hospice Unit. LaParl, who lived in Fort Lauderdale and Port St. Lucie, served as the administrator of the nursing home for more than 24 years. Although he retired in September of 2003, he continued to serve as liaison between VITAS and National Health Care, parent company of Fort Lauderdale Health and Rehabilitation Center, until his death in April 2005.

“Richard saw a lot of changes in long term care during his long term career,” says Candace Natale-Lee, a VITAS representative who worked with LaParl to establish the hospice wing in his facility in 2003. “He was a mentor, an advocate and a gentleman. Over the years there weren’t many new nursing home administrators in the area who didn’t benefit from his time and support.”

A hospice inpatient unit is designed to serve terminally ill patients who are no longer benefiting from curative care and cannot be adequately managed at home. Units use soothing colors and home-like furnishings to provide a non-institutional environment for patients and their loved ones to visit around the clock. A kitchen and several living rooms encourage family activities or conversation, and sleep sofas invite overnight stays with the patient.