Senator Collins Participates in Hospice of Southern Maine Groundbreaking Ceremony

Scarborough, ME — U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, delivered remarks at the groundbreaking of a new hospice center in Scarborough last night.  This building will help Hospice of Southern Maine (HSM) address the growing demand for end-of-life care in Southern Maine and consolidate over 120 staff from two other leased buildings on Route 1 in Scarborough.

The space will serve as the central hub for Hospice of Southern Maine’s clinical teams – nurses, social workers, and others – who visit approximately 200 patients daily in their homes, up from about 130 patients daily just three years ago. 

“This new Home Hospice Center will advance Hospice of Southern Maine’s mission of helping to ensure that life’s journey ends among caring family and close friends,” said Senator Collins.  “If care at home is no longer an option, Gosnell Memorial Hospice House provides a comfortable home-like setting for advanced, patient-centered care in the final days.”

“Personal experience has shaped my support for hospice care,” Senator Collins continued.  “A few years ago, one of my dear friends was a patient at the Gosnell House.  Despite her serious illness, her days were filled with visits from friends and family, with many joyful moments.  I remember my friend having a yearning for scones and a staff member going out specially to buy some for her.  She was surrounded by her family when she died peacefully.”

Hospice of Southern Maine is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide compassion, care, and comfort through end of life. Hospice of Southern Maine cares for more than 1,600 patients annually at the patient’s home; current care facility; and Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, an 18-bed inpatient facility in Scarborough. The construction of the new hospice center is estimated to cost $5.75 million. 

Earlier this year, Senator Collins, the Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, spoke from the Senate floor about two bipartisan bills that would help to preserve and expand access to home health services — the Home Health Payment Innovation Act and the Home Health Planning Improvement Act.  Additionally, Senator Collins introduced the Geriatrics Workforce Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation to increase the number of geriatric health professionals and direct service workers to support our aging population.