![]() ![]() Helping hospice patients prepare for death isn’t only about meeting their medical needs or making them feel comfortable if they’re in pain. In 2018, more than 1,000 people volunteered at The Inn Between. The Inn Between has two dozen paid employees and an enormous team of volunteers, who pitch in with cooking and cleaning, and by driving residents to medical appointments. I’m feeling like I’m a human being again.” “I’m not sure what I would do without this place. “Whether we are healing or dying in the end stages, we’re all in it together,” she said. “Everyone deserves someplace to die with dignity.” “They don’t let you be sad here,” she said, adding that she was grateful Glen had a safe place to spend his final days. But the staff and other residents lifted her spirits. Glen’s death left Conway feeling depressed and withdrawn. Formerly a shut-in, she now has a community who cares about her.Ĭonway told me about her friend Glen, who had recently died after several months in hospice at The Inn Between. “They’ll fight for us tooth and nail,” Conway said of the Inn Between’s staff.Ĭonway also found a sense of belonging she’d lacked throughout much of her adult life. Staff members drive her to medical appointments, make sure she’s taking her medication, and help her navigate layers of government bureaucracy to ensure she receives the Medicaid and Social Security benefits she’s eligible for. Conway became homeless until she found The Inn Between, where she has lived for nearly two years. On a recent visit, I met Kathy Conway, who suffered a severe foot infection several years ago that left her unable to work. Residents enjoy bingo, jewelry-making classes and regular get-togethers for holidays and birthdays. The Inn Between also provides residents with a sense of community, something they often lack on the streets. A certified nurse’s assistant is on site at all times, and each hospice patient is given their own dorm-style room. The new location features a commercial kitchen and a beauty salon. Last May, The Inn Between moved into a larger facility with 50 beds, half for homeless people recuperating from illness and half for those with terminal illnesses. Part medical respite center and part hospice, The Inn Between opened in 2015 on the grounds of a former Catholic convent and school. That number would have been even higher if not for the existence of The Inn Between, one of the nation’s only hospice facilities for homeless people. In Salt Lake City last year, about 50 people breathed their last breath without even the modest comfort of a safe home, a warm room, or a dry bed. ![]() Thousands of homeless people perish under bridges and in alleyways every year. But I’d imagine few of us have ever considered what it would be like to die there. SALT LAKE CITY - Most of us have wondered what it would be like to live on the streets. ![]()
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