End of Life Care

Newaygo County Compassion Home provides no to low cost, home-like end-of-life care and education for terminally ill neighbors in Newaygo County and surrounding areas. Staffed 24/7 by care coordinators and trained volunteers, the home offers personal care (bathing, dressing, toileting, transfers), comfort care and symptom support, assistance with meals, laundry, and housekeeping, and teaching about the dying process. Families are welcomed to stay onsite with amenities, ensuring loved ones remain together in a peaceful, dignified environment.

Care is coordinated closely with each guest’s chosen hospice provider—nurses, social workers, bath aides, and chaplains continue regular visits and the Compassion Home team advocates for the plan of care. Referrals are accepted from hospices, hospitals, and clinicians; priority goes to those with the greatest need, typically in the last 2–12 weeks of life. The home also provides short-term respite (up to 5 days), maintains high occupancy (≈97%), partners with multiple community organizations, and expects to serve ~80–85 guests each year—with many more family members supported through education and compassionate presence.

Alignment with United Way mission/priorities
This program advances United Way of the Lakeshore’s Healthy Families/Individuals → Access to Care priority by eliminating cost and logistics barriers to essential end-of-life services, coordinating across medical and social supports, and delivering equitable, culturally respectful care to anyone who qualifies—especially ALICE households with limited resources. By stabilizing caregiving, reducing preventable crises, and providing education and respite, the Compassion Home helps families maintain dignity and basic stability during a critical time, directly supporting United Way’s mission to build thriving, compassionate communities.