Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County officially broke ground Tuesday at the site of its future home in Wilton at 22 Danbury Rd.. The agency purchased the former Hitchcock Furniture Store and the building will undergo a major renovation in order to provide about 8,400 sq. ft. of space to accommodate the agency’s clinical and administrative offices. The plan is for the health agency to move into the new office this winter.

Visiting Nurse & Hospice has leased office space at I-Park for the past 10 years; before that, the organization was housed at the Comstock Community Center for several decades. According to president and CEO, Sharon Bradley, this was the first opportunity to purchase a building for a more permanent home.

“We have a long and rich history in Wilton,” Bradley says. “In addition to providing home health care and hospice services to the members of the community, we serve as the school nurses and the public health nurses for the town of Wilton. Our new home in Wilton is in a visible location and we will be highly accessible to the public. The building will be comfortable and welcoming for patients, families, staff, volunteers and members of the community.”

Wilton’s first selectwoman, Lynne Vanderslice, attended the ground-breaking ceremony and said how pleased she is that Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County is moving to its new location in Wilton. “The Town of Wilton enjoys a wonderful partnership with Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County,”she says. “We look forward to your opening your doors here on Danbury Road.”

State Senator Toni Boucher congratulated the agency on its growth as an organization and the move to its new home in Wilton. “You provide an invaluable service to the community and this is an outstanding location and beautiful space.”

State Representative Gail Lavielle was also in attendance at the ground-breaking ceremony and said that Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County is a blessing to the community. “This is a unique organization and the service you provide is an enormous gift to the entire region,” she says. “You have worked very hard for many years to be out in the community to make sure that people know you and know that they can trust you. I know that everyone appreciates the work that you do–and so do I. We are very proud that you have chosen to be here in Wilton.”

A non-profit community organization for more than 100 years, Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County provides professional nursing and support services, senior care management, physical rehabilitation, health education, community wellness programs and compassionate hospice and palliative care for adults and children in Wilton and throughout Fairfield County. Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County is a preferred provider of home health and hospice services for the Western Connecticut Health Network. Visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.