by Don Webster
President, Lahari Board of Directors
Many of you may have heard that the Lahari Hospice property in Deer Harbor is being offered for sale. That may raise some questions as to what has become of the Lahari non-profit and the availability of hospice care on Orcas Island.
Our beautiful hospice building and memorial gardens, constructed a few years ago with great care, represented the dream of a number of our community members who believed that a tranquil, well equipped hospice facility should be available at no cost to those who were approaching the end of their life. Generous donors provided the land and funding to build the facility and later, the adjacent memorial garden and water feature. The dream was achieved.
During this period, Lahari decided to sell its unused land in Deer Harbor to OPAL at an attractive price, which was a key to the creation of OPAL’s Lahari Ridge development.
A number of hospice and respite-care clients did utilize our facility but the usage dwindled over time. Most of those who required hospice care on the island chose to utilize the in-home services of the former Lahari Hospice volunteers or those from an off-island provider. While the usage of the Lahari Hospice may have been disappointing, the fact that Orcas Island residents did obtain hospice services in their own homes better met the needs and wishes of the hospice clients and their families.
Lahari ceased to be an active hospice facility and ultimately was converted into a low-income, senior rental unit. For more than one year, the Lahari Board of Directors has been examining its future as a non-profit on Orcas Island. Our starting point was that Lahari remains committed to supporting the provision of hospice care on Orcas Island. We have established a grant program to help fund volunteer organizations that provide hospice care in our community. We have also awarded scholarships to local individuals who wished to attend caregiver certification classes.
Our intent is to use our resources to assist those who are having difficulty in coping with life on Orcas. While most of these individuals are seniors it also includes those with chronic or life threatening illnesses. Over the past year we have interviewed medical personnel, home care providers, emergency medical response personnel, senior care administrators and seniors in the community to help us identify areas where Lahari’s resources might be used to make a difference. As we worked through this process, it became apparent that the Lahari property in Deer Harbor did not fit into our future plans. The board decided that the best course of action, consistent with the caregiving intent of the original donors, was to sell the property and use the proceeds to support both in-home hospice care and other areas where Lahari can make a difference.
This decision has not been taken lightly. We know that some members of the community will feel that we have strayed from the intent of some of our original supporters. To those we ask that you step back and consider the broader intent of providing assistance to those who require it at the end of life. Our efforts are focused on continuing and expanding that mission to make a positive impact on the community. We invite your support and participation to make that happen.
