Hospice House finally gets name

It’s been a year coming, but Hospice of the Eastern Upper Peninsula’s hospice house finally has a name.

The Robert and Helen Ball Hospice House was officially named recently in honor of, unsurprisingly, Robert and Helen (Bumstead) Ball of Hessel. They donated $100,000 during the hospice house open house last summer and then another $200,000 for the naming opportunity.

The couple presented a check to the Hospice of the EUP board of directors this week in memory of Helen’s mother and sister, both of whom received hospice care locally. Her mother received care at home, and her sister stayed in a room reserved for Hospice of the EUP patients in Hearthside Assisted Living in Sault Ste. Marie before Hospice House became available.

Helen was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie and Bob moved to the area with his family when he was a boy. He eventually started his own business, Ball Moving and Storage, and was co-founder of Superior Sanitation.

Since opening last August, the Robert and Helen Ball Hospice House has been home to 53 patients who have received care for as little as one day to as long as 109 days. The average length of stay is about two weeks.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Hospice of the Eastern Upper Peninsula