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Ideas for rooms set aside for Hospice Care/End Of Life Rooms:

PETERSBURG - Sunny Acres Nursing Home soon will offer suites for people in the last stages of their lives.

The hospice suites are among several recent enhancements at the Menard County-owned facility.

Administrator Lester Robertson said Sunny Acres averages three to five residents with hospice-type “comfort care” needs.

The four new suites - which could be available within 90 days - will feature electric beds, bedside cabinets, two “sleeper chairs” each, televisions, small refrigerators, microwaves and coffee makers.

Robertson said the suites will provide a better environment for the residents and their loved ones and allow relatives to stay overnight.

When I worked at an assisted living facility, we did something similar to this…we placed small CD players around the rooms with a variety of CD’s; we had potpourri crock pots and scented beads/potpourri to go with it; special lights (small, low watt bulbs with colored shades); we had an open phone line in each room as well, with it’s own number. Internet access was wired in as well. The kitchen would deliver a push cart to these rooms (when they were occupied) with snacks and meals. The rooms were decorated with warm colors, carpeting, quilts and nice wall art. No institutional stuff. They also supplied fancier linens and towels and the like. The families always stayed with their dying loved ones and most of them took care of them as well.