A safe, comfortable, and peaceful home-like setting for underserved people who have been given a terminal prognosis and need somewhere to stay and someone to care for them in their final days and weeks.
Sound on…..
What is Heart of Mary House (HOMH)?
HOMH is a home for the dying poor in Middle Tennessee. It is the DBA of Catholic Comfort Care Homes, which is a 501c3 non profit founded in September of 2022 by Kim Derrick.
Why is Heart of Mary House needed?
Kim worked as a registered nurse in the hospice field for over 11 years. Through her first hand experiences, she witnessed time and time again the disparities of the underserved who had been given a terminal diagnosis and were in need of home hospice care. Medicare and other insurance agencies do not pay the cost of room and board. Nor do they pay for dependent care needs of the hospice patient. This dispairity creates obstacles to care when a person has no home to receive home hospice services in.
Heart of Mary House is the first and only home in Middle Tennessee to respond to this ever growing need in our community. The hope is to create and manage homes throughout Middle Tennessee and make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of our neighbors in need.
What is the difference between Heart of Mary House and a facility?
Too many to list, but the main differences are that we offer a peaceful and home-like setting for the residents and they pay nothing in return. The home is 100% donation based.
Since this is an unlicensed home, who provides the medical care?
Medical care inside the home is provided by each resident’s hospice team, which is overseen by their hospice Medical Director. The core nursing skills are completed through their RN-Case Manager from their licensed hospice provider. The caregivers in the home serve in the same manner as a family member would in the home, if they had a home to go to.
What are the requirements?
Each Resident is:
- under the medical care of a hospice agency
- has a DNR
- has a prognosis of three months or less
How is a referral made?
Make a referral by clicking here
BRIEF HISTORY
Over the last two years, CCCH has managed a pilot project at 200 Thompson Lane. This was a 900 sq ft, 2 bedroom space in the basement of a home on the property of St. Edward Church. In this home, we cared for over 30 individuals with a terminal prognosis. The need for expansion grew very quickly, as 5 to 10 terminally ill people are turned away each week due to space and budget constraints. The overall experience has been exceptional and extraordinary!
In November os 2024, we signed the lease on a home 3 times the size as our pilot project and moved in our first resident on February 17. We have 3 full time caregivers on staff, and 4 part time caregivers. Our caregivers work in 8-hour shifts to provide 24/7 care to our residents. We also have over a hundred volunteers who spend 2 to 8 hours in the home, offering their time and attention to whatever is needed.
“In the weakness of the sick, I saw emerging evermore clearly a new strength– the strength of mercy. In a sense, the sick provoke mercy… by their illness and suffering they call fourth acts of mercy and create the possibility for accomplishing them.”
St. Pope John Paul II
Support Heart Of Mary House
Heart of Mary House is a 501c3 non-profit and is dependent on the generosity of volunteers and donors to fulfill its mission. Volunteers help with household needs like cleaning, cooking, laundry, companionship, praying, reading, and hands-on care if desired by the volunteer. All residents receive care free-of-charge. The non-profit relies completely on funds raised through community contributions.
