A Place for Peace
A peaceful atmosphere and round-the-clock personal care makes a stay at Bruns House a unique and special experience for both patients and their families.
Bruns House Inpatient Care
In 2004, we established Bruns House to provide inpatient hospice care for patients who require acute symptom management. Offering privacy and quiet that cannot be found in a hospital, combined with intensive round-the-clock care that cannot be achieved at home, Bruns House has cared for more than 3,000 patients and their family members. Bruns House is the only inpatient hospice house in the Bay Area. The Bruns House is also known as GIP (Hospice General Inpatient Care) or IPU (Inpatient Units).
Patients are cared for in a homelike environment. The peaceful atmosphere and round-the-clock personal care are what make a stay at Bruns House a unique and special experience for both patients and their families.
Goals of Bruns House
- To relieve pain and manage symptoms.
- To comfort and care for each patient according to their wishes.
- To support all patients and family members dealing with emotional, spiritual and practical concerns.
- To ensure that life’s last journey is what the patient wants it to be.
Bruns House is staffed by specially trained professionals, including physicians, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, home health aides, dieticians, social workers, spiritual care counselors, bereavement counselors, volunteers and a consulting pharmacist.
Our skilled medical and nursing staff provide assessments and interventions to control symptoms such as pain, nausea, anxiety, shortness of breath, and seizures. There is a registered nurse on duty at Bruns House twenty-four hours a day.
A social worker and spiritual care counselor are available for all patients and family members who are dealing with emotional, spiritual, and practical concerns during the final stages of life
We are available to collaborate with other hospice agencies and coordinate hospice-to-hospice transfers for general inpatient level of care.
A private pay option is available for patients who require routine level of care.
Comfort Care
One of our patients arrived at Bruns House due to unmanaged pain at home. Teddy, a well-loved companion, accompanied the patient during the transfer. Noticing that Teddy could use some TLC, Cristina, one of the Bruns House nurses, brought in her sewing kit from home to give Teddy a makeover. The patient was so thrilled to have Teddy looking like new again. #HEBbrunshouse
Sep 21
Welcome to the heartwarming tale of Bobby Banana, a stuffed monkey that mysteriously appeared one day in the Bruns House living room. Originally thought to have been left by visiting kids, Bobby soon became the Bruns House mascot.
In the early days, teams on each shift would hide Bobby in various places around the house for the next shift to find. It became a running gag for several weeks. Then one day Bobby disappeared, and no one could find him. Soon pictures of him in New York appeared via email from a team member who had taken him on vacation with her.
Since that first trip, Bobby has become a frequent traveler. He has been to Florida, New York, Universal Studios, on hikes, to family reunions, at the table for a family Thanksgiving dinner. He now has his own passport, and has been to Switzerland, Spain, France, Canada, Aruba and other places all around the world.
So, the Bruns House staff created a photo album of his adventures. "Families can look at it if they want, it`s just there," says Laura Bakar, director of the Bruns House. "To be honest, it`s a very organic thing. If they pick up the book and see him in a place that they have visited, it can spark reminiscing, like `Oh yeah, we took a trip with mom to Paris...` It can spark this life review, or this way in which they can talk about their loved one that I don`t think anybody would`ve expected. I think that`s part of the beauty of Bobby—he offers an opportunity for play, some sparks of joy.
"The staff love Bobby too, he is our mascot. He`s up on the board along with the other staff and volunteers. He`s kind of an opportunity for levity; he`s an avenue for that. Because you know we hear it all the time—if you ever tell someone that you work for hospice, they will just blurt out, `Oh my gosh that must be a really depressing job,` but there are moments of light in the work we do, and I think Bobby represents that."
Jul 27
As with most homes, the Bruns House kitchen is the heart of the home. One memorable moment in the kitchen was when we had two patients in the house with school-age children. Those children met in the kitchen, and there was an instant connection. Without any words being exchanged, they bonded, knowing someone else could relate to what they were experiencing. Those kids would meet again when they participated in the Bridge program, which is our bereavement program for kids.
The kitchen is also important for special celebrations at Bruns House. One patient celebrated a birthday while at the Bruns House. Her family and friends cooked a big feast here in the kitchen for all to share. Along with the food, balloons, and flowers, the stories of how the patient impacted their lives flowed freely. Two days later, the patient`s son had a birthday, and the friends and family gathered again to celebrate what was to be the last birthdays the two would share together.
Jul 27
Short term care at Bruns House is covered by the Medicare and Medi-Cal hospice benefit. Hospice East Bay also works closely with private insurers and HMOs to maximize hospice benefits, subject to applicable co-payments and deductibles. Private payment is also an option. A Bruns House team member will provide a private tour of our six-bed hospice inpatient facility in Alamo. Visit the link in our bio to schedule a tour.
Jul 20
Quality care is provided by specially trained professionals, including physicians, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, home health aides, dietitians, social workers, spiritual care counselors, bereavement counselors, volunteers and a consulting pharmacist.
Our skilled team members provide acute symptom management to control pain, nausea, anxiety, shortness of breath, and seizures. There is a registered nurse on duty at Bruns House twenty-four hours a day.
A social worker and spiritual care counselor are available for all patients and family members who are dealing with emotional, spiritual, and practical concerns during the final stages of life.
Jul 19
Offering privacy and quiet that cannot be found in a hospital, combined with intensive, round-the-clock care that cannot be achieved at home, Bruns House has been caring for patients and their families in a peaceful environment since 2004. Bruns House features:
• Six private rooms
• Open kitchen and living areas
• Unrestricted visiting hours; may remain with the patient throughout the night
• Pets visits are allowed
• Relaxing grounds with fountains, sitting areas and a meditative labyrinth
Jul 18