About

With the growing caregiver crisis in end-of-life care and the inadequate resources of the health care system, Omega Homes have emerged as havens of comfort, peace and support for people in need who are dying. These homes are known informally and collectively by many different names, including Social Model Hospice Homes, Comfort Care Homes, and Homes for the Dying.

Mission Statement:
Omega Home Network fosters a pathway to creating and sustaining community homes for people in need who are dying.

Vision Statement:
We envision a world where every community offers loving care in a home-like setting that enables terminally ill people to live fully and die well.

What's an Omega Home? It's a home that's:

designed for and focused on non-medical care at the end of life
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
in a collaborative working relationship with the resident’s hospice (medical) care team
not a hospital, nursing home, hospice, or medical facility
funded by community and family support
staffed by volunteers and/or paid caregivers who are considered “extended family”
complementary and not duplicative to what already exists in the community
created by the local community for the local community
reflective of the spirit of the people and the culture of the local community
inclusive and open to all people, according to local regulations
simply “home and family” and carries the heart of everything that means

Our innovative model of non-medical care in a community home offers a comfort-based, person-centered home-away-from-home for people in the last months and days of life. Varying in size, appearance and internal policies, yet sharing a common foundation and philosophy, there are currently 100+ open or developing Omega homes located in multiple states across the US.

At Omega Home Network, we believe that meaningful end-of-life care is made stronger through collaboration. We believe in contributing to and sharing in a national conversation about improving end-of-life care and education. This work is enriched and expanded by collaboration with regional and national advocates and thought‑leaders. These trusted colleagues help us expand access, share knowledge and support the unique needs of those nearing the end of life. Together, we are advancing the support and resources for individuals and loved ones experiencing life-threatening illnesses.

Collaborative Colleagues

Read our member spotlight on the C-TAC blog.

View our Annual Report

Member Spotlight

Fall is in the air. A season of change: crisp, frosty weather and beautiful autumn colors on the hills of Mountain Maryland. It could be described as being on a threshold...an entrance, a crossing, a beginning. And that is precisely our current experience with Mountain Maryland Cares, LLC. With the gracious assistance of a local attorney and CPA, we received the federal approval of our non-profit status in record time. In continuing conversations with our community and nurturing authentic relationships, we have been gifted a lovely property. In open communication with our local officials, we learned that the area was already zoned to allow for an Omega home.

So on Monday, October 27, we held our first public event, titled "Come and See." Come and see what Omega is all about; come and see what a group of six founding members have been working on; come and see a vision for the future for our entire community. We offered tours of the current space and included visions of transformation for both the space and the conversation surrounding end of life. We concluded with a presentation on what brought the founding members to this project, our work thus far, how we can build on these successes, our mission statement and how it partners with and flows from the mission of the network. The community response, energy and feedback were outstanding. It was extremely upholding and validating to see the heads nod in understanding of our mission and the need for it. We have engaged in conversations with our local hospice provider and will be touring the space with them and elicit their input as we plan renovations.

The common themes of our journey thus far have been open and clear communication, building and nurturing authentic relationships, continuing the conversation, and moving forward to just the next step. We have taken to heart the message of Omega that we are a part of the community we serve. We are neighbors serving neighbors, creating a place to give and receive care; with a vision for the future that includes becoming an inclusive community resource for knowledge, connection and compassionate end-of-life care.

With full knowledge that we have many more mountains to climb, we feel energized by the education and support of the network as well as the community response. What started as a spark of an idea has ignited a flame and now has an energy and life of its own. With hearts full of gratitude Mountain Maryland Cares steps across the threshold and into a bright future with a mission of compassionate care for those whose lives are ending and support to those who love them.

Jane Rossi
Co-Chair, Western Maryland Cares - Frostburg, MD