Modern society provides support for every life stage, from birth to old age.

Hospice -- an ancient concept practiced in the United States since 1974 -- provides care in a patient's home or elsewhere for the final stage.

On Wednesday, ground was broken for FirstHealth of the Carolinas Hospice House, with completion of a 16,000-square-foot, 11-bed acute care facility slated for spring of 2011.

Each room will have home-style furnishings, a private bath and patio. In addition, the campus will include an administrative building, grief resource and counseling center, children's play area and spiritual sanctuary.

Of $10 million raised for the project, $4 million will be spent on the residence, built on a lakefront campground off U.S. 15-501 in Pinehurst. The wooded acreage is a partial gift from owners James and Michelle Kirkpatrick.

Currently FirstHealth Hospice and Palliative Care professionals and volunteers serve nearly 500 patients annually in homes, nursing homes and the hospital. Medicare and most insurance plans cover home visits and in-house services.

"This is the culmination of the commitment of many people," said FirstHealth Hospice Director Charlotte Patterson. "It provides another level of care for patients and their families."

Or, as Dr. Ellen Willard, Hospice medical director, put it: "Oh happy day!"

The facility, Willard continued, will benefit patients with symptoms that cannot be managed at home. She cited Hippocrates' admonition: "To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always."

A recent study reported that 75 percent of Americans want to die at home, yet more than 90 percent die in hospital.

In 2008, North Carolina hospice associations (operating 32 free-standing facilities) cared for 39,322 patients: 77 percent white, and 15 percent black.

Judy Brunger, CEO of Carolinas Centers for Hospice and Palliative Care in Cary, confirms that hospice is more appealing to certain populations. Tradition and culture factor into the decision to seek assistance when a family member faces death.

FirstHealth Hospice treats the whole family. Services, which include group counseling and bereavement issues, are free, with no waiting or limit on sessions.

The groundbreaking ceremony, held in a tent beside the lake, was attended by 100 hospice professionals, volunteers, benefactors and community leaders.

Charles Frock, CEO of FirstHealth of the Carolinas, echoed the prevailing sentiments.

"(Hospice House) lets us expand our ability to serve patients when the end-of-life need arises," he said. "We're so proud."

Contact Deborah Salomon at debsalomon@hotmail.com.