MERIDEN — A local Catholic-based care center is celebrating its 30th anniversary as a licensed home health care facility. Franciscan Home Care and Hospice Care, 267 Finch Ave., received its license in April 1987.
The business had just four patients at the time, but now has over 200. The center has been licensed for skilled nursing, physical, speech and occupational therapy from the beginning. The agency also recently added a wound care specialist.
“We felt that there was a great need for community-based services in Meriden,” Franciscan Home Care Administrator Suzanne Gross said. Franciscan Home Care currently serves patients in 31 towns in the region. “We’ve had wonderful staff through the 30 years,” Gross said. “The people working for Franciscan Home Care and Hospice Care are really dedicated to the mission of providing quality care in a faith-based setting.”
Gross said patient growth has been spurred by recommendations. “We are the only surviving Catholic agency in Connecticut,” she said. “That also is because of the support we’ve gotten through the years.”
About 150 employees serve more than 200 patients in homes and up to 25 patients in hospice care each day. Ages of patients range from early 20s to more than 100 years old, Gross said.
Some patients, such as Shelia Spellacy, reside nearby in center-owned homes on Beverly Drive and also volunteer at the facility. “They treat everybody with dignity and respect, whether it’s an elderly person or young person,” Spellacy said.
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