Coeur d’Alene nonprofit Hospice of North Idaho says it has started construction on a $1.8 million expansion to the Schneidmiller House inpatient unit to help meet the community’s growing need for specialized end-of-life care.

Named after late North Idaho community leaders Mannie and Gladys Schneidmiller, Schneidmiller House is located at 2290 W. Prairie in Coeur d’Alene. The 15,000-square-foot facility includes 14 patient rooms with accommodations for overnight guests and access to outdoor patios and garden space.

The facility also features common spaces, such as a garden and walking paths, a great room with fireplace, a prayer and meditation room, a family dining area, a kitchen, and a media room.

Kim Ransier, executive director of Hospice of North Idaho, says the organization built the Schneidmiller House in 2011 and currently is adding a 5,000-square-foot wing with seven private rooms to the building’s northwest corner. She says the expansion also will include a laundry facility, meeting room, and additional space for families.

Hayden-based Young Construction Group of Idaho Inc. is the contractor for the project, which was designed by Architects West Inc., of Coeur d’Alene.

“Construction on the project began in January, and the new wing is expected to be ready for occupancy this September,” she says.

Ransier says the project will be funded completely through community donations.

“The project is almost fully funded already, and we expect it will be fully funded by the time the expansion is completed,” she says.

Founded in 1981, Hospice of North Idaho provides end-of-life care to patients in Kootenai, Shoshone, and Benewah counties.

Ransier says the nonprofit’s 6-acre campus includes a dog park, several gardens, a walking path, the Schneidmiller house, and a two-story community building that was built last year.

“The new community building’s first floor houses our bereavement services and space for educational training and community workshops, while its second floor includes staff administrative offices,” she says.

While Hospice of North Idaho provides more than 90 percent of its days of care in patients’ homes, the Schneidmiller House provides end-of-life care for patients needing 24-hour clinical support in a home-like setting.

Ransier says Schneidmiller House already is operating at 90 percent occupancy, and the expansion will help accommodate projected growth in the need for hospice care.

“A lot of the new population growth in our area is individuals 65 and older, and that group is projected to increase by about 30 percent in the coming years,” she says. “In building this expansion, we’re anticipating that growth and working to ensure we’re able to continue accommodating the community’s end-of-life care needs.”