About Us
Mission Statement | What We Are About | Background | Staff Members | Board of Directors
Mission Statement
Serenity House provides 24-hour specialized care for people in their final three months of life, their families and their loved ones. The home is an ideal alternative to hospitals, nursing homes and in-home care. It’s free of charge. A team of fully trained volunteers and on-call medical professionals staffs the home around the clock.
What We Are About
Serenity House provides 24-hour specialized care for individuals who are in their final three months of life, their families, and their loved ones. Our home is an ideal alternative to hospitals, nursing homes, and in-home care. It is free of charge. A team of fully trained volunteers and on-call medical professionals are staffed at the house at all hours, every day. Our care focuses on controlling pain, as well as helping residents and their families come to terms with the often-overwhelming emotional issues they may encounter. Serenity House provides the highest level of care and comfort for your loved one in a home-like setting.
Our facility, which was opened to our first resident in April of 1999, is a ranch home on four tranquil acres featuring orchards, wildlife and gardens. It has all the comforts of home: separate bedrooms for each resident, guest room, commonly shared living room and kitchen where families are welcome to cook and share meals and relax as they would at home.
The house is very much alive. For many years residents have enjoyed reunions with old friends and classmates, anniversary parties, baby and bridal showers, holiday get togethers and birthday celebrations.
Comfort care for the terminally ill is about empowering the individual to live out their remaining days with dignity. It also focuses on helping families savor the life that remains, coping with the dying process and providing support during bereavement.
At Serenity House people can gracefully live their remaining days without concern or fear that they will be alone or without assistance.
The 24-hour-a-day responsibility of care is lifted from the primary caregiver. Residents and their families are encouraged to spend time healing and revitalizing their relationships through love, forgiveness, celebration and grief.
Background
In 1996 the Serenity House Board of Directors was formed and charged with the responsibility of raising capital necessary to establish a conveniently located, homelike facility where two residents and their families would receive 24-hour care at no cost. In April 1999 the dream of a comfort care home became a reality when our first patient was admitted. Since that time we have cared for over 400 residents and their families from several surrounding areas including Bloomfield, Canandaigua, Farmington, Geneva, Honeoye, Penn Yan, Rush, Shortsville, Victor, Webster and several other communities with referrals from Ontario-Yates Hospice, Lifetime Care, area hospitals and family members.
Serenity House is supported by the generous contributions of people and businesses in the surrounding communities; by donations/memorials in honor/memory of our residents and/or citizens from the surrounding area who have passed away, yearly fundraisers and various grants.
We are also a United Way funded agency. Please remember to designate your annual United Way donation to Serenity House, organization #125.
Staff Members
Director: Kayko Jarmusz, Volunteer Coordinator: Karen Kasprzak
Board of Directors
Nina Kahovec – Chairperson, Mary Sabin – Vice Chair, Marcie Hamilton – Secretary, Daniel Benulis – Treasurer, Sharon Cary, Dr. Robert Chavkin, Dr. James Leitgeb, Linda Marren, Liz Vidas.