One of the Last Local Hospice Care Providers

Wherever there is money to be made, opportunists will be there to figure out how to capture it. As sad as it may be to say, there’s money to be made in the business of dying.

Over the past several years this has created a frustrating trend as large corporations, and investor groups buy up small mom and pop hospices in an effort to capture the lucrative return on their investment.

Aria Hospice & Comfort Care is one of the last locally owned and operated hospice in Tucson, as other locally grown hospices have been sold off to owners who aren’t from here and don’t understand the people who live here, our needs, and our unique culture. And though they hire locally, their staff are often powerless to change things or make suggestions because they are just another cog in a larger corporate wheel. This creates tension between the staff, who truly care about their patients, and the “powers that be” who care more about their bottom line than the care they provide. This isn’t to say the bottom line isn’t important, of course it is! But if the motivation is money, high quality care may not be the priority.

Though we have a structure, and guidelines we follow, the care we give is deeply personal, and designed to meet the needs of the specific person and family we’re serving. This means we can quickly adapt when changes to care plans need to be made. Our board and executive staff are all local and easy to reach so if high level changes need to be made, it’s done in minutes.

Motivation Matters!

The motivation behind the organization matters deeply. If the motivation is to make as much money as possible, the quality of care isn’t going to be the same as the organization that is missional-minded.

Aria Hospice & Comfort Care was founded by Wendy Swager. Wendy lost her mom many years ago, when she was a child living in New Zealand. Her small town huddled together to provide support for her entire family as they grieved the passing of their mom. At the time, Wendy felt this was something all people should have. She believed then, as she does now, that everyone deserves this level of care and support during one of life’s most challenging times.

Comfort, NOT corporate!

Wendy founded Aria with this philosophy and we have worked hard to create a culture of caregivers who seek the best for our patients. We believe care should be focused on providing comfort, and should never feel corporate. In other words, you shouldn’t feel like a number, or a task to be completed.

We believe in the Circle of Care, wherein we surround the family with all the support they need to move through this incredibly challenging journey. We provide faith-specific spiritual support, bereavement services, and 24/7 care. Our goal is to give control over how you will transition. If your desire is to remain at home, our nursing and support staff will work with your family and loved ones to provide the care and support you need to make that possible. We want your comfort to be prioritized so that you can enjoy your loved ones and family.

We provide this care not because we want to get rich doing it, but because we believe deeply that it’s our responsibility to provide quality comfort care. We have all experienced death in our own lives and we know what a difference this care can make. We want to provide the best, most competent, compassionate care possible to ease the pain of passing.

If you or a loved one are in need of hospice care, or are currently with another hospice company, ask yourself: Are you just a number? Or a figure? Or is your care worth more than that? If you are with another hospice care company and are unhappy with the care they are providing, you are able to change providers. Please call (520) 547-7000 for more information.