New Hospice Facility Open House Scheduled for This Saturday

Area residents will be able to tour Cottage In The Meadow on South 48th Avenue this Saturday from 10am to 4pm.

What is Cottage in the Meadow?

Cottage in the Meadow is an in-patient hospice facility and the first of its kind in Yakima and Kittitas counties. The need for hospice care has grown significantly over the past 15 years. The community identified a need for a hospice home and the Memorial Foundation led the fundraising campaign to get it built.

Cottage in the Meadow will also offer respite care up to 5 days for people receiving hospice services in their own homes.

What makes it special?

This is a community project. Ten years of planning, 5.3 million dollars raised. The funds to build it came from the community -- nearly 6500 donors.

Phase one includes 12 spacious patient suites that open to semi private patios. The suites are equipped with oxygen access, private bathrooms, a sleeping sofa and enough room for friends and family to gather. Other features include:

on-site laundry room for family members
a kitchen that families can use to prepare food 24 hours a day
a children’s play area
a family room & reading room/library

Phase two will include eight additional patient suites. Building won’t commence until funds are available. Once phase two is complete the entire facility will be 20,000 square feet.

Who will be served by Cottage in the Meadow?

Memorial Hospital will provide staffing, and hospice agencies from Kittitas Valley Home Health & Hospice, Lower Valley Hospice and Palliative Care and Yakima Regional Home Health & Hospice will refer patients.

Volunteers will support the work of employees and there are opportunities for people to get involved. There is volunteer training that Memorial provides. The next training session for hospice volunteers is in September.

There is an open house this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The public is invited to see this facility and celebrate what has been accomplished by the community. They will begin accepting patients at the end of July/early August.

Cottage in the Meadow is located on South 48^th Avenue, south of Nob Hill across from Randall Park in Yakima

Get more information here.