WOODWORTH

The building will be for patients in the last days of their lives.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
WOODWORTH -- Hospice of the Valley always has brought care to the doorsteps of the terminally ill, but now the organization plans to build a center for those who need a place to come for care.
The organization was to unveil its plans this morning to build a new $6 million hospice inpatient facility. Hospice officials say the care center will be the first of its kind in the local community.
Families must leave the area and travel to Akron or Cleveland for the nearest inpatient hospice facility.
Groundbreaking for the new facility is scheduled for this fall.
The building, which will feature a homelike environment, is scheduled to open a year later, said Liz McGarry, hospice development director.
"While remaining at home is the goal of hospice care, many times, it's not possible. Patients may not have a capable or willing caregiver. Families may live out of town," McGarry said, explaining the reasons for building the new building.
Funds raised
The agency already has raised $3 million for the project from foundation grants, community service clubs and individuals, and is launching a campaign today to raise the additional $3 million required.
The building, designed primarily for patients in the last seven to 10 days of life, will be on a 14-acre wooded site at 9501 Sharrott Road in Woodworth.
The 35,000-square-foot building will house 16 patient rooms on a lower level with window-view gardens as well as a children's playroom, nondenominational chapel, family kitchen and lounges. There also will be a resource and community bereavement center and a memorial garden.
Hospice of the Valley has been caring for the terminally ill and their loved ones in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties for nearly 25 years.
Focus of care
The care is intended to address a patient's physical, emotional and spiritual needs, while making it possible for the family to spend time with the individual.
The agency, which has a staff of 85 and about 175 certified volunteers, serves its patients in their own homes and nursing homes. The agency's average daily census is 170 patients.
It has headquarters in Boardman and offices in Warren, Salem and Calcutta and a bereavement counseling center in Canfield. Agency staff includes bereavement counselors, chaplains, licensed social workers, nurses and home health aides.
The building was designed by Matrix Architects of Dayton, a firm which specializes in design of hospice inpatient facilities. The construction manager is Davis International of Youngstown.
During the construction, wetlands and most of the woods on the Sharrott Road site will be preserved, McGarry added.