Samira Beckwith

Samira Beckwith, the CEO of Hope Hospice of Lee County told Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce members at their monthly luncheon last week that she had good news – that the new Hope Hospice House in Lehigh would be open in about four month, the beginning of March, barring any construction problems.

“We are in our final chapter of the construction phase of the Hope House here in Lehigh,” she said.

The new Lehigh Hope House is being constructed off of Beth Stacey Blvd. on land given to them from the Lehigh Community Health Association (CHA). The 45,000 square feet facility will be available to patients from Lehigh, eastern Lee County and areas as far away as Clewiston and Immokalee, Alva, LaBelle, Gateway and Buckingham, Beckwith said.

A capital campaign has been underway for nearly a year to raise $5 million toward the building of the complex which will be the fourth Hope House.

“We’ve got $2 million to go; the community has been good to us. We are looking for more funding for the project,” she said.

“With the economy like it is, it is an excellent amount to raise. We need to raise $3 million and I know we can do it,” she aid.

Ruth Ann Anglickis and Karen Makowski are co-chairman in Lehigh for the capital campaign.

In her update presentation, Beckwith noted that the new Hope House will bring about 50 or more jobs for Lehigh. That was good news for Lehigh business people who applauded Beckwith when she mentioned the complex would add to the economy of Lehigh, which because of the recession, the jobless rate is around 13 percent. When the construction boom burst two years ago, many lost their jobs, including construction workers and those who supported new home building and sales, including real estate agents and suppliers.

Beckwith asked if anyone had driven up near the site to see the progress of the new facility and several hands went up.

“We’re very excited about our Lehigh Hope House,” she said.

Hope Hospice is not only for those who are coming to the end of their lives, but for those with severe illnesses. She said that Hope Hospice tries to keep a family member, a loved one in their own homes for a long as possible. They send Hope people to the homes for several duties, not the least is administering medication to those in severe pain.

“We’re calling the Lehigh complex our ‘Center for Hope,'” said Beck. “We will also be looking for volunteers who will be an important part of our operations here.”

“We wish nobody have to use our services, but people do become ill and many of them are seriously ill and many are facing the ends of their life.

Often when a patient comes to live in Hope Hospice House, there is little time before death claims those who are most severely sick. But Beckwith said one woman who had cancer was given a short time to live, but when she came to Hope Hospice, she lived for three years in and out of the hospital and Hope Hospice.

“So we never know how long one may need our services,” she said. “But the better it is when a family notifies us as soon as possible. We can begin by sending nurses to the home to where a patient is more comfortable.

“Sometimes families wait too long and a patient may enter Hope Hospice because a family is not able to care for a loved one and the patient doesn’t live very long,” she said.

“We are there to make the suffering of patients at the end of their lives to go go as easy as we can make it,” she said.

Beckwith also noted that the Hope Hospice program receives funding in part from some insurance companies, including Medicare and Medicaid. In addition, she said there are grants for Hope Hospice and there are contributions from the community.

Often in an obituary or death notice, the family of a loved one who has passed away, asks for memorial contributions be made to Hope Hospice.

“But nobody is ever turned away … we will do our best to find ways to cover the expenses,; she said.

“We want those people are are seriously ill to come to Hospice as a place to live out their last days in comfort. We think about their lives as living people.

Lehigh Chamber Emcee John Graham thanked Beckwith for speaking to the Chamber and called Hope Hospice a ‘wonderful community partner.”

If you would like to help to pay for the Hope Hospice house, you can buy one square foot at a time.

Beckwith brought literature with her explaining that folks could donate “$115 for one square foot” of the building or they could finance an entire room. Those who give will be honored in a special display in the new Hope Hospice House.

For more information, local families who want to help may contact Ruth Anglickis and/or Karen Makowski or Beckwith herself at 239-489-9177. You can also go online at www.hopehcs.org for more information about Hope Hospice. Anglickis is with Landex Corp. and Makowski is with the First National Bank of the Gulf Coast, formerly Panther Community Bank.

“Each day, Hope brings a unique form of care to hundreds of people in need. Whether it’s providing hospice care to those facing a life-limiting illness, supporting family members and caregivers in their time of need, grief counseling, symptom management or a combination of services .. it’s what we do.

“We expanding our services in your community and we’d like for you to be a part of this very special endeavor,” were the words in the colorful pamphlet left for members to pick up. The pamphlet shows photos of what the new Lehigh Hope Hospice will look like when completed early next year. It also shows the floor plan, which shows the living areas, the chapel, the kitchen and other areas of the building.

The Community Health Association is composed of a board of directors who oversee money that has been invested after the sale of the old Lehigh Hospital years ago. The money is passed out to projects that involve medical needs. In this project, CHA gave valuable land for Hope Hospice, enough land of value to make the beginning of Hope Hospice available in Lehigh.