FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Mark Cohen, VP/Communications & Public Relations

Irving, January 24, 2005—Leaders from VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® of Dallas and Hearthstone Assisted Living celebrated the opening of a new VITAS inpatient hospice unit at Hearthstone’s Irving location with an open house on January 5.

The new unit is VITAS’ first in the Dallas area; there are 22 VITAS inpatient units nationwide, the closest one located in Ft. Worth at the Baylor All Saints Medical Center, which has been open seven years.

“There is such a need in this community for a unit like this,” says Judy Wallace, senior director of admissions for VITAS’ Dallas program. “We’ve always served our patients in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and in their homes. Now we can serve them in the only inpatient hospice unit in Dallas County.”

The 12-bed hospice wing is designed to serve terminally ill patients whose care no longer can be maintained adequately at home. The unit uses soothing colors, homey patterns and accommodating furniture like rocker-recliners and sleeper sofas to ensure a non-institutional environment for patients and families.

Each private bedroom shares a bathroom, kitchen area and sitting room with another private bedroom for a total of six suites. Areas common to all visitors include a reception area, kitchen, family room and a quiet room that has a computer with Internet access. Hearthstone is built around a landscaped courtyard that is accessible from the VITAS wing.

“Hearthstone truly understands the concept of aging in place,” says Wallace. “This is a warm and welcoming homelike setting, and our unit fits well here in the community. VITAS and Hearthstone are a true partnership; our goals are very much alike to serve the needs of Dallas seniors.”

“We’re excited about this new hospice wing,” agrees Laura Evitts, assistant general manager at Hearthstone. “VITAS services allow us to keep seriously ill patients here at home, which we would not be able to do without their help. This hospice unit adds to the continuum of care already in place.”

The inpatient unit, located at 2425 Texas Drive, Irving, provides care to terminally ill patients with a wide range of diagnoses: cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cerebrovascular disease (CVA), Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders, end-stage renal disease, failure of multiple organ systems and HIV-related conditions.

Treatment provided for these patients focuses on palliative care, which is the aggressive treatment of physical and emotional pain and symptoms aimed at enhancing comfort and overall quality of life. For information call VITAS at 1-866-41-VITAS.