Granite VNA has provided home hospice care to patients in central New Hampshire since 1981, so it was only natural that the agency opened the state’s first Hospice House, a warm and inviting place where thousands of patients have experienced a peaceful and dignified end to their life’s journey.

Thanks to the vision of then-president Geraldine Donahue and the Board of Trustees, the dedication of our entire team, and tremendous community support, Hospice House became the first-of-its-kind in New Hampshire when it opened in 1994.

“It was pretty clear that Geraldine was proud of Hospice House,” said Michael Donahue, Geraldine’s husband. “It was quite a long process from beginning to end.”

Geraldine passed away peacefully at Hospice House in 2019.

Evolution of an Important Community Resource
Hospice House was conceived as a home where adults who lived alone could receive the care and support needed to “live out their lives in a comfortable, secure, and supportive home.” From the beginning, Hospice House became well known to the community as a peaceful and supportive setting where compassionate staff and volunteers provided outstanding care.

In its first year, 68 individuals, ages 31 to 96, lived-out their remaining time at Hospice House.

“I started when Hospice House was a residence,” said Elizabeth Conners, LPN, a hospice nurse who has been a member of the Granite VNA team for nearly 27 years. “Community nurses would visit patients at Hospice House as they would see patients in their own homes and LPNs helped provide care. The house was mostly staffed by volunteers who cooked and cleaned.”

Four years later, in 1998, the Hospice House care model evolved to include full-time clinical and support staff who would provide nursing care, personal assistance and meals 24/7 to patients – and their families and loved ones. This model persists to this day, but also includes social workers, spiritual care and a dedicated team of award-winning volunteers.

In 2004, with support from community members, businesses and foundations, Granite VNA completed much-needed renovations and improvements to the House and created a beautiful memorial garden. The Susan McLane Memorial Garden continues to be a peaceful refuge for patients, families, team members and visitors to relax and reflect.

Creating Special Moments
Hospice House team members and volunteers routinely go above and beyond to help create special, meaningful moments for patients and loved ones to cherish.

Elizabeth recalls one patient who arrived at Hospice House with a “wish list” of things she wanted to experience before she died.

“She wanted to hear church bells, so we wheeled her to the back porch each morning to hear the Carmelite Monastery bells,” Elizabeth said. “She wanted to have a homemade whoopie pie, so we made a batch for her, and she wanted to hold a kitten, so we arranged to have kittens brought in for her to cuddle.” She also wanted to experience the thrill of riding on a motorcycle! A challenge, but Elizabeth called a local motorcycle shop  that soon sent an employee to take the patient for a ride. When they returned to Hospice House, she was beaming.

“Her smile was priceless,” recalled Elizabeth.

Unwavering Commitment
The end of one’s life can be an extremely difficult time for caregivers and other loved ones. From the moment a patient enters Hospice House, team members and volunteers strive to allow families to simply be families.

“Many families and friends of patients say they are grateful for the freedom to ‘just be’ with their loved one because we assume the responsibility of providing care, preparing meals, and managing medications and treatments,” said Elizabeth.

Hospice House volunteers provide patients companionship, pet therapy, music and more to comfort them and enrich their final days.

Hospice House has undergone many renovations and changes over the years, but our team’s commitment to providing a compassionate and supportive environment for patients and loved ones in their time of need remains constant.

In 2023, Hospice House provided end-of-life care and support to 421 patients ages 26 to 101 and their loved ones.