The Paula J. Baber Hospice Home will close at the end of next month, but UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge will continue providing hospice care to patients in their own homes and in long term care facilities.

“This is not the end of hospice care,” said Leah Glasgo, the president of UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge.

She said the decision to close the home was driven by the fact that most hospice patients are now cared for in their homes or in long term care facilities.

“We are committed to meeting patients where they want to be and they want to be at home,” she said.

As the number of hospice patients being served at home or in care facilities grew, the number of those patients in the Baber home dropped. The steady decline in patient numbers combined with the rising cost of operating the facility created “unsustainable financial challenges,” Glasgo said. That, she said, led to the decision to close the home, effective March 31.

“We will work with all impacted team members to help them pursue full-time opportunities in our organization,” she said.

She said no decision has been made yet on what to do with the building at 2630 Ninth Ave. S.

The Paula J. Baber Hospice Home opened in November 2008.

Glasgo said inpatient hospice care will be available in UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center for patients who qualify and hospice teams will deliver care in private homes, senior living facilities and nursing homes.

UnityPoint Health has a long track record of providing hospice care in local long term care facilities.

Julie Thorson, chief executive officer of Friendship Haven, said she can’t remember a time when UnityPoint Health hospice providers did not serve the senior living community.

“They’ve been a consistent partner in hospice care,” she said.

“I have every confidence that they will maintain their high quality program,” she added. “We have a good partnership with them. We don’t see that changing.”