The INN Between: Unique Hospice House Allows Terminal Homeless People To Die With Dignity
Each year, at least 50 people die on the streets of Salt Lake City, Utah. These people die with nothing — no money, no food, and no shelter. They die alone with no family members or friends to mourn them, which is why The INN Between was created — to give terminal homeless people a place to die with dignity.
According to their official website, The INN Between, which opened on August 17, 2015, is Utah’s first hospice house. Along with providing a roof over the homeless’ heads, The INN Between offers their residents clean clothes, a clean bed to sleep on, healthy meals and snacks, personal care items, laundry, social activities, emotional and spiritual support, and other supportive services. The terminal guests also receive access to professional hospice care, and the opportunity to reconnect with their estranged family members.
Rick Silva, 64, was recently told he was suffering from cirrhosis of the liver and was dying. After being homeless for nearly two decades, and suffering from drug addictions, Silva wasn’t all that surprised to hear that he didn’t have much longer to live. Nonetheless, Rick was scared and had nowhere to turn to — that is, until someone told him about The INN Between.
“When the doc told me there was nothing they could do for me and that my liver was beyond repair, I guess I wasn’t surprised,” Silva told People Magazine.“I was scared, though, and I wondered what I was going to do. So when I ended up at this place, it was a blessing — a clean bed, medical care and a place to sort out my life. I am extremely grateful.”
Kim Correa, the executive director of the hospice house, also spoke to People about why they decided to open the Inn.
ICYMI: my story on Utah’s first hospice for the homeless, the Inn Between @sltrib https://t.co/5w2Eu3TR2f
— Alex Stuckey (@alexdstuckey) July 10, 2016
“So that terminally ill homeless people would have a place to die in dignity, instead of on the streets,” she said. “Last year, we had 47 people die on the streets in Salt Lake City. That’s 47 too many.”
“Society has turned its back on these people,” she continued. “We spend more time and money on homeless pets living at animal sanctuaries than we do on people living on the streets. They’re not homeless people, they’re abandoned people. At their end of their lives, they deserve a little peace of mind.”
The INN Between does dignified hospice work for the homeless. My violin and I #VOLUNTEER there tomorrow. https://t.co/6UiiMg5In8
— Tim Coray (@TiCo801) October 26, 2015
Currently, The INN Between has room for 16 residents and is set up like a bed-and-breakfast. Not only are there bedrooms for the residents, there is also a community dining room and living area where both men and women can get together to eat and talk.
“Our mission is to offer a safe place where Utah’s homeless men and women can experience the end of life journey in comfort and with dignity, surrounded by people who care.”
In addition to caring for the terminal homeless people while they are alive, The INN Between also holds a special service for them after they die. When one of the residents passes away, the hospice house posts an obituary on their website. They then hold a community memorial service in their garden area and place a name plaque on a memorial wall in their garden.
“They get very emotional about it — to finally have a place to go before they die,” Matilda Lindgren, the program director, said. “I’ve had big and tough guys get teary and tell me they were saving up pills, figuring they’d end their lives on their own somewhere, maybe in a motel room, so they wouldn’t have to die on the street. They’re glad to know they won’t have to be found by a stranger. That means a lot to them.”
[Photo via Shutterstock]
