A new facility designed to meet the needs of hospice patients and their families broke ground in North Carolina. The Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County (HPCIC) Mooresville Hospice House will improve access to end-of-life care for the community’s growing aging population.
Constructed by G.L. Wilson Building Co., the 13,400 square-foot facility will house 10 patient beds in a “homelike” environment.. The HPCIC Mooresville Hospice House will also feature family areas, a full-service kitchen and exterior grounds with meditation gardens. Scheduled for completion in early spring, the facility is set to open in April 2021 and seeks to meet the area’s growing need for end-of-life care services.
Seniors account for 11.5% of Mooresville’s population, according to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The number of people turning 65 is anticipated to “rise dramatically over the next 20 years,” according to growth projections by the Town of Mooresville.
Hospice utilization in North Carolina hovers around the national average, ranking 24th in the nation in 2017 with 49.6% Medicare decedents electing hospice, according to the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization. Utah has the highest rate in the United States at 59.4%.
“The Town Board of Commissioners understands how vital it was to have this in our community,” said Mayor Miles Atkins. “Even though it’s taken a long time to bring this Mooresville, you’ve found the perfect spot.”
The new center will be Mooresville’s first inpatient hospice facility. Previously, those requiring residential hospice services would need to travel nearly 20 miles away to receive care at Gordon Hospice House in Statesville. Located in Iredell County, residents in the area account for roughly 34% of patients served at the facility. The new hospice house will bring end-of-life care closer to home for Mooresville’s aging population.
“The back-and-forth travel from the Mooresville area can create a burden on their families,” said HPCIC CEO Terri Phillips regarding patients living in the area. “When we first saw the site in the spring of 2019, we were overcome with the peace and tranquility we felt. We knew we had found the perfect home.”
Mooresville officials reportedly embraced the project from the onset, as a conditional-use request for the site was approved without dissent. With support from its board of directors, HPCIC sought out a local site to bring hospice care into the community.
The inpatient setting of HPCIC Mooresville Hospice House will provide medical care and non-medical supportive services such as physical, psychological, social and spiritual care for dying patients and their families and caregivers, regardless of their ability to pay. The investment is hoped to have lasting impact for HPCIC and the Mooresville community.
“This house will provide comfort and care for Mooresville families for generations to come,” said Mahdi Ajjan, M.D., chairman of the HPCIC board.
Companies featured in this article:
G.L. Wilson Building Co., Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County (HPCIC), HPCIC Mooresville Hospice House
