Bryn Mawr Hospital Opens Hospice Family Respite Room with Support from the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Bernard & Etta Weinberg Fund
Bryn Mawr Hospital recently opened a new Hospice Family Respite Room on Nursing Unit 3C, a private space where family members and caregivers of hospice patients can find rest and quietude steps away from their loved one.
The Respite Room helps Bryn Mawr Hospital in its mission to provide "family-centered" hospice care where family members are encouraged to be with their loved ones during their declining days and at the time of their passing. Construction of the Respite Room was fully funded by the Bernard & Etta Weinberg Fund, an endowment fund administered through the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia that seeks to support the aging population in our community. With this project, the Weinberg Fund sought to make a positive impact on the care and comfort of individuals requiring hospice services in a hospital setting.
Supporting dignity and presence at the end of life
"The Bernard & Etta Weinberg Fund was established to support the dignity, comfort and care of our aging community members, and the new Hospice Family Respite Room at Bryn Mawr Hospital reflects those values beautifully," said Jen Brier, Chief Planned Giving Officer at the Jewish Federation. "We are proud that the Weinberg Fund, through the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, could help make this space possible-offering families peace, privacy, and presence during life's most tender moments."
Caring for a loved one with a serious, progressive illness who is nearing the end of life can be an intensely difficult and emotionally taxing experience. Many family members choose to stay at the hospital for extended periods — sometimes up to a week — so they can be with their loved one at the moment of passing. They often feel unable to leave the hospital, even for a short time, to rest, eat a meal or take a shower. The new Respite Room solves this problem by providing a quiet and peaceful area inside the Hospital where family members may rest, reflect or grieve and also find a restroom, shower facilities and a comfortable place to sleep.
Partnerships that make a difference in hospital-based hospice services
"We'd like to thank the Bernard & Etta Weinberg Fund and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia for helping us create this beautiful and practical room that encourages family presence and decision making," said Cinda Johnson, executive director, Bryn Mawr Hospital Foundation. "Together, we are ensuring that a patient's final days are spent with dignity and comfort, surrounded by their loved ones."