In 2004, we opened Bruns House, the first freestanding adult hospice facility in the East Bay.  The House accommodates six terminally ill patients in comfortable, medically appropriate, private rooms.  Patients experience privacy and quiet that cannot be achieved in a hospital, and intensive around-the-clock care that cannot be achieved at home.  Visiting family members enjoy unrestricted access and the opportunity to just be family members and not caregivers.  The goal of care is to achieve the best possible quality of life for each patient by respecting his or her wishes and assuring physical and psychological comfort.

Families and friends of patients enjoy the opportunity to visit Bruns House whenever they like and to carry on activities that are meaningful for the patients. The house has been the scene of many family reunions, three marriage ceremonies, a naturalization ceremony, many birthday and anniversary parties, and countless happy moments that patients have spent with their beloved pets.  Staff members do all they can to make Bruns House feel like home and provide a life-enhancing experience for all who go there.

• Six private rooms
  • Unrestricted visiting hours
  • Children and pets welcome
• Opportunity for family or friends to remain with patient through the night, if desired
• Registered Nurse on all shifts
• Physician present Monday through Friday; available weekends
• Medications and equipment related to illness provided
• Patient’s transportation included
• Relaxing gardens and sitting areas
• Meals prepared according to the wishes of patients

• Pain Relief and Symptom Management—Skilled medical and nursing assessments and interventions to control symptoms such as pain, nausea, anxiety, shortness of breath, seizures, or complicated wound dressings
• Imminent Death—The best care possible during the final phase of life
• Transitional Care—Teaching caregivers the necessary skills to prepare for discharge of the patient to home or an extended care facility

Referrals may be made by the patient, the patient’s family/legal representative, physician, hospital discharge planner, case manager, or hospice provider.

All admissions to Bruns House require a physician’s order.   Referrals are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.  For more information, please call (925) 887-5678.

• Patient has a terminal diagnosis and a prognosis of six months or less if the illness follows its expected course.
• Patient is receiving comfort care for symptoms, rather than curative treatments.
• Patient and/or family agree with Hospice goals, and consent to Hospice services through a signed contract.
• Patient meets the admission criteria for an acute inpatient level of care.
• Symptoms require daily assessment and R.N. intervention
• A pre-admission evaluation will be conducted by a Hospice nurse to determine if the patient is appropriate for Bruns House.  Consultations are available seven days a week at no charge. 

Care is provided to all medically qualified patients and is covered by Medicare, MediCal, many other insurance companies, or private payment.

Bruns House is dedicated to the memory of Lt. George H. Bruns III of Lafayette.  His family generously provided substantial funding for the House through the G.H. Bruns III Fund, which was established after Lt. Bruns died in 1967 while serving in the Air Force.

For more information on the Bruns House, please call (925) 887-5678

We welcome donations in support of this one-of-a-kind care option. Click here to make a donation in general support of Bruns House, or in memory of a loved one who has been a patient there.