Conceived of need and compassion, born and nurtured by six caring local couples, and built by a most generous community, the Keuka Comfort Care Home opened its arms in September of 2007 to area families in need of terminal care for a loved one.

This state-of-the-art terminal care facility was drafted and adapted from borrowed plans, erected entirely by volunteers, and constructed at roughly one-third of budget due to an unusually large number of in-kind donations from local contractors and suppliers. After nine months of extraordinary communal efforts, the Keuka Comfort Care Home was ready to accept its first residents on its bucolic hillside overlooking Keuka Lake. 

The need for a local comfort care facility was realized when a common friend of local residents decided it was unacceptable for Yates county-area residents to travel long distances to visit terminally ill loved ones. They came together to initiate a change, and 2 years later the Keuka Comfort Care Home is in operation. KCCH has proven to be a valuable asset to our community. We will forever be grateful for the effort of the start-up committee, comprised of Bill & Rosalie McEvily, Bill & Barb Schrouder, Rick & Jean Thompson, Bill & Nancy Kays, Tom & Betty Rakovan, Bob & Margo Shaw. 

Rosalie McEvily, Margo Shaw, Barb Schrouder. Back Row: Nancy Kays, Bill Kays, Bill Schrouder, Bob Shaw, Betty Rakovan, Tom Rakovan, and Bill McEvily. Absent: Rick and Jean Thomspon

KCCH is a two (2) bed private home overlooking Keuka Lake. We welcome persons with a terminal illness who are determined to be within the last three months of their lives. Our home operates according to the principles and practices of the hospice philosophy.

There is no fee for our care. Our link with the health care system is the contact your family members have with the certified hospice agency. In Yates County the certified agency is UR Home Care Hospice. The agency assures that medication and needed medical supplies are available as well other services that are required under hospice care. 

What makes KCCH different from the resident’s own living situation? We strive to relieve the family of major care-giving responsibilities enabling them to spend more quality time with their loved one. 

The focus of comfort care is to alleviate symptoms rather than trying to cure or change the course of a terminal illness. With that in mind, we do not use IV fluid for hydration, tube feedings nor CPR. Both the resident and family need to understand and agree to these guidelines before admission to KCCH. 

A primary focus of this ministry is to make each resident as pain-free and symptom-free as possible. We do nothing to hasten or prolong the person’s natural dying process.