Healthcare professionals from the local community have identified the need for a comfort care home in Erie County. In bringing this comfort care home from a concept to reality, the goal is not to simply provide end-of-life care, but to provide the highest quality of end-of-life care for every patient, in order to maintain the dignity and worth of those individuals. Andrews campus in Buffalo, New York, serves those who are without either the social or financial means needed to maintain quality of life when placed in end-of-life care. By combining the work of volunteers and the dedicated staff, we are able to care for the underserved members of the local community. This model of caring for the terminally ill has existed in most counties outside of Erie County for close to 30 years, and we are proud to say that this concept has become a reality for the residents of Erie County as of 2019. As we continue to make this house a home, we will be able to accept our first resident on December 15th, 2020. Oftentimes, we are asked, what is comfort care? The goal of comfort care is to alleviate and manage suffering during the end-of-life process so the patients can live the remainder of their lives in a comfortable, home-like environment and on their own terms. Comfort care does not hasten or prolong a person’s natural dying process. Comfort care focuses solely on end-of-life care. In a technical sense, the care would focus on pain control, symptom relief, and the spiritual and emotional needs of the resident, family, and friends. Admission to the home is based on need, with priority given to those who cannot be cared for at home. A comfort care home ensures that proper and necessary care is consistent and supervised for the patients. The patients admitted would be those who fall through the cracks of the healthcare system and end up passing within the walls of the hospital. These individuals include those disenfranchised by the healthcare system, the mentally ill, the homeless, or simply living without the necessary social support to maintain quality of life. The patients may be experiencing financial or social barriers to necessary healthcare, and as such, a comfort care home alleviates both barriers. Social barriers, for example, might include the absence of family or friends or the inability of loved ones to care full time for the individual. The residents are provided with 24-hour care, 7 days a week by direct care staff and trained volunteers, all free of charge. Sloan Comfort Care Home relies solely on financial support from the community in the form of donations, fundraising, and grants. Inspired by the selfless example of Mother Teresa, these comfort care homes provide a familiar and warm atmosphere where the terminally ill may find comfort in the actions of those who serve them. Mother Teresa said, “No one should die alone… Each human should die with the sight of a loving face.”
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