Solace will not in itself, be licensed as a hospice provider. Solace staff and volunteers supplement, but do not replace, clinical care which will be provided by one of the several hospice home care programs available to Dane County. Determining which particular hospice organization is involved is a choice made by the individual receiving care. Solace cannot nor will not endorse or express preference for any one hospice program.
Once a person is enrolled in a hospice care program, a Plan of Care (POC) will be developed by hospice professionals together with the dying person and others (including Solace staff and volunteers) who will be responsible for implementing the POC. Typically, the hospice is responsible for physician oversight, scheduled visits from nurses, nursing assistants, social workers, counselors, and hospice volunteers, and others according to the POC. They will also supply medications, durable medical equipment, and other care supplies necessary for symptom management.
Solace staff and volunteer caregivers will offer additional support just as family caregivers do when other hospice patients receive in-home care. This includes housekeeping tasks like cleaning and laundry, as well as meal preparation, and assistance with various activities of daily living such as bathing, toileting, dressing, etc. Just as importantly, Solace will offer companionship and community that supports emotional, social and spiritual desires of each individual.
According to our mission, Solace's aim is to serve our community’s most vulnerable people as they prepare for the end of their lives. Our primary target population includes individuals diagnosed with a terminal illness/condition who are hospice eligible, and also experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, extreme poverty, mental/emotional health issues, substance abuse disorder, and/or social isolation. We will also support previously homeless people who reside in Permanent Supportive Housing, Transitional Housing, or other locations connected to Dane County’s Housing First effort. We envision serving a very diverse community and accept those of all ages, races and ethnicities, faiths, sexual and gender identities, and people with disabilities.
We anticipate referrals from a variety of sources including numerous health care, housing, and human services organizations, from friends of those in need, and from individuals seeking care for themselves. When evaluating referrals, we take a number of factors into consideration, such as specific diagnosis, current health status, and suitability for the care we provide. Once we receive a referral, our team will meet face-to-face with those seeking support to make an assessment and determine more exactly, what and how services can best be provided. If you'd like to make a referral or find out more about the process, please give us a call at: (608) 843-8191.
From the beginning we thought a free-standing house would be the best setting to provide the kind of care—and especially the sense of community—that we envisioned. However, before making our decision, we thoroughly considered other care delivery models by asking:
Over time, however, we came to realize that our initial vision was the best choice after all, and in July 2022, after securing an excellent lending package through Monona Bank and Forward Community Investments, we began to look actively for a house. With the wonderful help of our realtor at Mad City Dream Homes, we were able to find an amazing property which is ideally suited for our needs. Within days we placed an offer, which was then accepted, and we are now fully immersed in all that is necessary to renovate the building and ready our programming so that we can start providing services as soon as possible. Paired with those efforts, we are now actively working to raise sufficient funds that will fully cover the renovations, mortgage payments, and maintenance expenses for the first two years of operations. Click here for more information about our fund-raising activities.
We still have a great deal to do before we will be able to welcome residents into our Solace Home. As we move forward, our work is currently focused on myriad efforts necessary to ensure our mission is accomplished. Following is a list of our current priorities.
