BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) — Ballad Health’s Hospice House hosted an open house event on Monday titled “Life’s Journey: An Exhibit of Meaningful Art.” Officials with Ballad said the event aimed to showcase new renovations and artwork at the facility, as well as acknowledge National Hospice Awareness Month.
Candice Greenlee, Ballad’s Assistant V.P. of Home Health and Hospice Service, told News Channel 11 that each room at the facility is uniquely decorated with artwork that tells a story.
“We like to tell stories at Ballad, and the artwork is a reflection of a story,” she said. “So every artist that was selected to put their pieces here, they had some type of catastrophic story in their life. Just like our patients, they too have those. And so we really feel like this brings out part of the culture here of storytelling, and really having those last conversations and end of life that we can share with them. So we’re just excited to have the hospice house and have the artwork here.”
According to Ballad Health’s website, the Hospice House is an 8-bed, private-room facility. The house supports people of all ages and end-of-life conditions, with “special awareness of the needs of pediatric and adolescent patients.”
Greenlee said the renovations and artwork are intended to help patients and their families be more comfortable, feel at home and reminisce while in the facility.
“Death can be scary for some folks,” she said. “And hospice is a four-letter word at times, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be very meaningful. A lot of the pictures are very vibrant, they’re very colorful. And so that way it brings back reflections from their life. And so they can look at these, they’re aesthetically pleasing. But it also starts a storytelling conversation among their families.”
Other upgrades to the facility aside from the 46 pieces of hand-selected artwork include new lighting fixtures and recliners, according to Ballad Health.
