Mission

Expert care & personalized support for Niagara County families

Our care team works together to maximize quality of life for the entire family.

Mission: Niagara Hospice is dedicated to providing the right care, in the right place, at the right time. 

Vision: Niagara Hospice will evaluate each life-limiting diagnosis for hospice eligibility, an important benefit that ensures comfort, dignity and specialized care for terminally ill patients. When Niagara County residents, their families and caregivers enter our program, we will provide expert symptom management, caregiver relief and comprehensive end-of-life guidance to the entire family to help everyone maximize quality of life and cherish precious time together for as long as possible.

History: Niagara Hospice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization recognized by New York State and the Internal Revenue Service that serves Niagara County residents, began its grassroots movement in 1980 when the Reverend Robert Cook of the Town of Tonawanda gathered a group of concerned citizens, including co-founder and current Niagara Hospice board member Patricia Evans, to discuss the feasibility of developing a hospice program for Niagara County. As a result of that first meeting the first board of directors was formed in 1984 and the organization became incorporated as an Educational Association.

In 1986, a Certificate of Need was presented to the New York State Department of Health by then board president Patricia Evans and in June 1988, Niagara Hospice, Inc. was licensed to serve its first home care patients. Since then, Niagara Hospice has been privileged to serve more than 28,000 Niagara County residents and their families. Thanks to a dedicated and hard-working staff, volunteer corps and partners in care, Niagara Hospice has evolved to meet the increasing needs of the seriously ill and their families.

A member of the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), Niagara Hospice is the only Western New York hospice with the ACHC (Accreditation Commission for Health Care) accreditation.

Patient, Family & Caregiver Information for Niagara County

What is Hospice?

Hospice is a way of caring for patients with end-of-life illnesses and supporting their family and loved ones through the illness and dying process. At Niagara Hospice, we believe every day is a gift and we value quality of life for each and every patient. As the only hospice provider in Niagara County, our staff and volunteers take pride in their compassionate service to others. Just one call to Niagara Hospice provides loved ones the physical, emotional, psychosocial, spiritual and bereavement care they need.

Hospice care is appropriate for people with any advanced stage illness, not just cancer, where the prognosis is a life expectancy of approximately six months or less – if the illness were to run its normal course. Some patients receive hospice care beyond six months. Most patients and families receive care in their homes, and the organization has partnerships with skilled nursing facilities throughout Niagara County to provide needed services to eligible patients wherever they live.

The clinical staff, consisting of doctors, nurses, social workers, aides and volunteers, ensures patients and caregivers have access to physical, emotional and spiritual care services, as well as supplemental therapies, to improve quality of life. Patients are eligible to receive hospice care with a prognosis of six months or less, or up to 12 months for Niagara County residents who receive strictly Medicaid.

The hospice team consists of:

  • Physicians
  • Clinical Pharmacists
  • Nurses 
  • Medical Social Workers
  • Spiritual Care Coordinators
  • Massage Therapists 
  • Hospice Aides
  • Homemakers
  • Trained Volunteers
  • Allied Therapists and Support Staff
  • Bereavement Counselors
  • Pet Peace of Mind

Hospice Programs Serving Western New York

Niagara Hospice’s dedication to providing the highest level of care is recognized by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). The ACHC has awarded Niagara Hospice with its accreditation for hospice care for demonstrating a commitment to providing quality care and services to consumers through compliance with ACHC’s nationally recognized standards for accreditation. Niagara Hospice is the only hospice in Western New York with the ACHC accreditation.

Niagara Hospice Board of Directors:

  • James M. Shaw, DDS, Chairman
  • James Baker, Secretary
  • Patricia Evans, Treasurer
  • Mary Brennan-Taylor
  • Linda Flessel, RN
  • Nicholas Granchelli
  • Sharon Jean Hewner, PhD
  • Dan Mandaville
  • Paul Nanula

Niagara Hospice Annual Reports:

Hope and Hospice

Every family’s situation is unique. You do not have to face a terminal illness alone – we are a phone call away. Hospice gives hope for comfort when a cure is no longer feasible; hope that a secure, familiar care setting can be enjoyed; hope for personal dignity and freedom from unwanted procedures. Additionally, Hospice gives hope that the family will be nurtured and supported, even after the death of their loved one. Many of our families have told us that choosing Hospice allowed them more time to be together.

Let our family help yours!

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