The Lily House Story
Our Mission & Vision
At the end of her life, our friend Jamia confided: “I’m not afraid of dying. I’m afraid of dying alone.”
Not long ago, the majority of us died in the comfort of our own home. Today, 80% of us wish to die at home, yet only 20% of us do. Without around-the-clock caregiving support and/or the financial resources to hire professional caregivers, it quickly becomes untenable to safely stay at home at the end of life.
As a result, the majority of us are dying in hospitals or other institutions surrounded by bright lights, loud noises, and a busy environment—and often at the expense of our dignity and agency.
Our Vision is to create an alternative: a community home for living and dying where we join together to take care of each other at the end of life—so none of us have to worry about dying alone.
Our Mission is to provide around-the-clock hospice-level care in a peaceful, compassionate, and contemplative environment where terminally ill residents can live and die with dignity, comfort, and grace while being cared for with love—at no cost to those in need.
At The Lily House, we support our residents to live as fully as possible until the time of death. We encourage each other to develop a positive and curious relationship toward our shared mortality, and we offer education and resources to help us all make informed and meaningful end-of-life choices.
The Lily House is a member of the
Omega Home Network, a national grassroots movement to improve the end-of-life experience for individuals, friends, and families in local communities.
During her final days, Jamia said: “I just want someone to hold my hand. Dying is the hardest thing I have ever done.”
Dying
is hard work.
We only do it once, and no one should have to do it alone.
Our Values
We acknowledge death and dying as a natural human experience with the potential for deep transformation. In the presence of death, we bring love, humility, and an openness to receive all that death has to teach us.
We honor the sacredness of living and dying. Our work is guided by a compassionate, contemplative, and joyful approach to care and is at the center of all that we do.
We recognize that
due to systemic inequities and implicit bias, the circumstances and causes of death are inordinately influenced by race, gender, class, sexuality, faith, ability, statuses of documentation and migration, and/or other aspects of our identities.
We acknowledge that the
depth and complexity of the human experience—in life and death— extends beyond the boundaries of identity categories. We are committed to creating a community home that is intentionally inclusive and welcoming for all.
We recognize
differences in levels of wealth and access to resources, and agree to treat all who enter our home with dignity and respect.
We acknowledge our blind spots and are
committed to on-going diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism training for our board, staff, and volunteers.
We honor the
Wampanoag people as the original inhabitants and stewards of
Tuttomnest, the Wellfleet peninsula on which the Lily House is located.
