Most of us fret about getting 5 stars while Nikola got the whole Milky Way

[Nikola15]

This was the most unusual request I have ever had and I’m so glad I said yes. A man in his 40’s contacted me saying his wife’s cancer had taken a turn for the worse and she was now being put on hospice. She was in a hospital about 30 miles from me. Their insurance would no longer cover them in the hospital if she was on hospice but if she had a home the nurses, equipment, etc. would all be covered. He tried other rental options but they all wanted first, last and a lease. Then his son in law mentioned Airbnb and that’s how he found me. This was his first booking so I called Airbnb because it all sounded a little crazy. They assured me he was who he said he was. He booked for a whole month even though he thought it might only be week. 

The medical equipment arrived on a Friday but the family didn’t get here until Monday evening. I gave them a lot of space and they were very self sufficient. During this time we had the power turned off by PGE for 4 days and they managed to get a generator on their own to keep things going. Gradually family members left until it was just the man and his wife with hospice nurses coming every day. On about their 8th day here I could tell the husband had grown weary and was not sure how much longer he could hold out.

He was losing the love of his life. I had gone down to visit the wife a couple times and she was nothing short of an angel. She was so happy to be out of the hospital environment and in a home surrounded by nature with deer visiting daily.

That night I was on my way to check in on them and stopped to stare up at the Milky Way. It was brighter than usual and seemed to go on into infinity. Just then he came outside and confirmed she had died. He was sobbing, shaking from the cold and the shock.

We hugged tightly under the Milky Way, the Highway to Heaven, for a long time.

I will never forget this family of angels and am grateful for this unique opportunity. I opened my home to them. They opened their hearts to me.

[Title updated]

[Erin443]

@Nikola15

Oh, my god you are AMAZING! My brother chose to die at home and we were so grateful for a peaceful, loving passing. For you to give this gift to this family is beyond generous and kind. All the blessings of the universe on you. You are clearly a beautiful soul.

[Stacey400]

I am doing an end of life doula training and this idea of people using airbnb's as a place to die came up tonight.  My class just ended so I looked it up and your was the first story that came up.  Thank you for sharing your story here and for having such an open and generous heart to open your space to this family.  What an incredible gift.  Your story shifted my initial perspective.

[Nikola15]

@Stacey400 You are so welcome! 
I really appreciated him being upfront and honest with me so I knew what was going on. I don’t think I would do it again. I felt it was a once in a lifetime situation and I was fortunate to have the room available for them at that time. 

[DeVonna1]

I actually came here to see if it was a thing. As a nurse, I have been longing to open a hospice home for a long time. Thank you for sharing. My question is can I market it as strictly for hospice patients?

[Nikola15]

Hi DeVonna,

Thank you for connecting!

That would be a question for someone knowledgeable in Airbnb. On your end I think the first thing would be to get all the licensing and insurance you would need for running that specific business out of your home. 

Airbnb has about 60 categories for specific searches like.. beachfront, farms, treehouses etc. But not anything close to Hospice care home. I actually have had several contact me looking for that. One was a doctor who was doing legal assisted deaths. They found me on this community forum. For me, it was a one time experience.

it’s a really good idea and I encourage you to move forward in any way you can. You could put rooms, or a home on Airbnb and make the title something like “ Hospice Care Home” so people know right away. I just don’t know if many that were looking for that would find your listing. The people that contacted me were from all over. 
Good luck!

People need your unique gifts, talents and passion for what you are doing.
😇Nikola

[DeVonna1]

Thank you for your response. I will be doing some homework. The market is definitely there!!

[Helen3]

Hi @DeVonna1 

In the UK if you want to provide hospice care at home it's strictly regulated (as it should be) to protect those who are at the most vulnerable time at the end of their lives.

I think if you have the right location and facilities there will be a market. 

I'm not sure though  Airbnb is the right platform for your business idea for this niche market 

You'd be better doing your market research , understanding what regulations are involved and if you feel it would be viable setting up your hospice at home business and then you can market it directly to those at the end of their lives and their families . 

[DeVonna1]

Thank you so much for your response. I’m going to do some research.

[DeVonna1]

I should definitely market directly; AB&B takes a cut of the price. I would probably just use it as a start to get out there. This really helps! Thanks again!

[Nikola15]

You are so welcome! 💝