Craig Davis and Keavy Bedell have opened East Mountain House in Lakeville. It is an end-of-life facility — a home, really — that can accomodate up to two guests at a time. The first guest arrived in mid-September.
The house, at 14 Bostwick St., is the one Davis shared with his wife Sandy Dennis, who died in 2020. Davis said her spirit lives on in the house itself and in the approach taken for the guests.
When a visitor enters the house from the back, the first thing to do is greet Lucy the dog.
Next is to change into a pair of slippers, supplied by management.
Then the visitor is led around, with a stop in one of the guest bedrooms, complete with hospital bed and television.
The living and dining area is spacious and comfortable.
And quiet. No TV in here, quite deliberately.
In fact, there are no televisions anywhere except in the two guest rooms.
Davis said the house had to be remodeled to some extent, including removing a spiral staircase for something more conventional and practical. But the antique windows remain.
On the second floor are bedrooms for nursing staff and family members of guests, plus an office for Executive Director Cristin Gallup.
The third floor has a quiet space or “hangout.”
The house is decorated with works from local artists.
The yard is fenced in, and guests can bring a pet if the pet “is nice and gets along with Lucy.”
The entire atmosphere is influenced by Buddhism.
“It’s Buddhist without being Buddhist” said Davis.
One of the two guest bedrooms at East Mountain House, with a hospital bed, television, and Lucy the dog being helpful on the couch.Patrick L. Sullivan
Bedell, who is a certified end-of-life doula, said she and Davis talked about starting something for end-of-life care for some time.
“East Mountain House is 10 years from inception, with three years of earnest, hard work” she said.
The facility is affiliated with Visiting Nurses and Hospice of Litchfield County (VNHLC), so there is a trained staff presence around the clock.
Plus there are between 20 to 30 volunteers involved.
To qualify, a guest must be enrolled with VNHLC, have a medical diagnosis of three months or less to live, medical insights on what to expect at the end of life, have a signed MOLST form indicating Do No Resuscitate, have a designated health care proxy and financial power of attorney, and have a hospice plan for continued care in case of discharge.
There is a sliding scale for payment, and if a guest has few assets, there is no charge.
The effort relies on donations and volunteers. East Mountain Foundation Holdings is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
East Mountain relies on donations and volunteers, both of which are cheerfully accepted.
East Mountain House is “our gift to the community,” said Davis, and added, “Ultimately the community will have to keep it going.”
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