My initial impression was that of fear and mortality. Then after I accepted that, I allowed myself to turn my thoughts towards what we were there for…to celebrate Las Vegas being home to one of the top hospice care facilities in the country.  In fact, during it’s fruition, it was one of only three facilities available in the United States, thanks to the compassion of Merv Adelson, son to Nathan Adelson, a Sunrise Hospital Administrator in the 1960-70s, who passed away from cancer a few decades ago.

At the ribbon cutting ceremony for the brand new, larger inpatient facility at the Mountain View Hospital, Merv relayed his personal experience about how his father, who suffered from cancer, did not die a dignified death. Not exactly what you want to chat about on a blog, but it is something our community should be grateful for. Because Merv held his father in the highest regard, and did not want others to experience what he had gone through, he set his sites on offering end-of-life care in a facility that would set the standard for those following its lead in the United States. The Nathan Adelson Hospice was founded and developed based on ideas sought out from similar concepts in England. It was the first of its kind, and is now considered an expert in its field, with many hospise care facilities from around the country reaching out to them for advice and direction.

Though at first my livelihood felt threatened to walk into such a place, as I started a self-guided tour, and listened to the enthusiastic employees, founders and supporters discuss the amenities and the comforts provided to those being admitted, and their loved ones, I felt a sense of gratitude knowing that if ever needed, this place of compassion would be there to serve, as it has served our community for over 30 years.

Again, as I have been touched so many times witnessing the strength of our Las Vegas community these last few months, I listened, teary-eyed as President and CEO, Carole Fisher, gave a touching presentation of the latest addition to the Nathan Adelson Hospice family as she talked about how her mother and grandmother did the interior decorating, and how her grandmother passed away this January, still deciding the layout of the furniture.  She spoke about how grateful she was that within the walls of not only her home, but also her place of work, her grandmother’s legacy lived on in the colors, art work and furniture throughout the hospice. Longtime supporters of the Las Vegas community, Irwin and Susan Molasky, spoke to their involvement in the hospice and why it was so important to them.

The Nathan Adelson Hospice’s Northwest Inpatient facility is located at the Mountain View Hospital, 3150 N. Tenaya Way, Suite 350, Las Vegas, Nevada. To learn more about the facilities provided for our community, visit the Nathan Adelson Hospice website. You can also follow inspiring stories and learn more about the people and lives Nathan Adelson touches on their Facebook page.

For more photos on this event, please visit my Google+ story.