CORNING, N.Y. (WENY) -- Saying goodbye to a loved one is difficult as is and can be even more difficult when they are knowing uncomfortable in the facility they might be in. To make the process more comfortable for the patient and their family, the Dugan family created Bampa's House in Corning, New York.

"So Bampa's House is a two bed comfort care home. It's a place for people at the end of life, three months or less is the prognosis when they come here to spend their final days with their family and their loved ones in the comforts of a home," Ann Roberts, Executive Director of Bampa’s House.

There are over 30 comfort care facilities in New York State but none that are very close to Corning. This is why the Dugans created Bampa's House,because they struggled to find appropriate facilities for their Bampa (grandfather), Jim Dugan, to spend his final days in. 

"He had a difficult death in a nursing home setting that was a challenge for the family and a challenge for him and the family decided after that, that they wanted to create a better option right here in Corning for people in the same situation."

They since founded this non-profit and after over four years of fundraising and construction, Bampa's House is officially open and ready to help local families. 

"Residents and their families aren't charged anything to stay here, to keep costs down, donations and grants and community support financially is what will keep the house going, so volunteers aren't making a salary so that helps keep the costs down," says Karen Charnetski, Volunteer Coordinator. 

These volunteers are made up of retired RNs, LPNs, school nurses, and others who have experience with caregiving. But before any volunteers and or families come into the house, they do have to follow COVID-19 protocols to keep everyone in the house safe.  

"When a visitor comes to the house, the visitors will have to be limited, but when they do come to the house, their temperature will be taken, their questions will be asked, there hands will be washed and if they pass all of that, they would go outside again and enter the residents room through a deck door," Roberts tells WENY News. 

If you would like to learn more about Bampa's House and how you can have a loved one placed here, you can click here.  You can also make donations to the house through that link as they are always in need of donations to keep the house running.