CONCORD ó Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast and Hospice & Palliative Care of Cabarrus County have filed a request with the state of North Carolina to add eight inpatient hospice beds and four residential hospice beds to the Bob & Carolyn Tucker Hospice House in Kannapolis.
Tucker Hospice House has six residential and six inpatient hospice beds. This would bring the total number of beds to 24. With state approval of the Certificate of Need, the project would add 9,125 square feet of new space and renovate another 657 square feet at a cost of $2,809,200. A decision is expected by the end of the year with opening anticipated in October 2011.
“HPCCC has provided residential hospice care at Tucker Hospice House for three years and inpatient care for one year,” said Shirley McDowell, HPCCC executive director.
“Occupancy rates for these beds and greater utilization of hospice care services overall clearly demonstrate the need for the additional beds. We are overwhelmed by the support we have received in the community.”
The Certificate of Need application was accompanied by 672 letters of support from community residents, including letters from families who received care at Tucker Hospice House. Families expressed appreciation for both the hospice care they received and for the setting provided at Tucker Hospice House.
“Many expressed concern for families who could not be served at their time of need due to the limited number of beds,” McDowell said. “With the growth in our local population and the increasing demand for care for older patients, these additional beds will fill a critical need in our community.” Tucker Hospice House is at 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis.