In 2009 a group of individuals came together to discuss the need for a comfort care home in Seneca County. Several of the members of this group were Seneca County residents who worked for the local hospice program and had seen the need for this service first hand. Pathway Home was developed based on other comfort care home models currently operating in the Finger Lakes. Over the last 7 years we have raised enough funds to enable us to purchase our home in the town of Tyre on State Route 414 in October of 2015. We accepted our first resident on Feb 28, 2017. Comfort Care Homes all work on the same model - caring for two people at a time with the help of trained volunteers and nurses; providing care at no cost to our guests or their families. A Hospice or Certified nursing agency supports the care with nursing, social work, and chaplain visits. Each comfort care home acts independently, choosing from the list of referred persons based on their own assessment of who has the greatest need of their help. When a home is interested in offering a bed to a prospective guest, the nurse of the house will come out to interview the person, bringing pictures of the house to help the person understand what the house is like. Tours of the home will also be available for prospective guests and their families. What is the difference between Hospice and Pathway Home? Hospice is a certified home health agency that implements the hospice philosophy. The certified Hospice receives insurance reimbursement, where Pathway Home is not a certified agency, and does not receive insurance reimbursement. We are a Home, where the nurses, staff and volunteers are considered the guest’s “extended family,” and provide 24-hour care, seven days a week, free of charge. Pathway Home relies totally on the community for support. Our only income comes in the forms of memorials, donations, fundraising revenues, and grants.
