Porta Caeli House offers a place where the terminally ill can live out their remaining days in a comfortable, loving, caring and dignified manner.
There are many emotional, physical and financial factors that enter into end-of-life care. There comes a point where not every family or caregiver can continue to meet these needs.
There is currently an unmet need in Tulsa for people who are terminally ill to have the care and compassion provided by a home for end-of-life care. The only such facilities have limited space and can serve just a small portion of the local need, resulting in a waiting list that can delay move-in for weeks.
Hospitals, physicians, or hospices refer their patients to Porta Caeli House for palliative end-of-life care – in other words, care that neither hastens nor prolongs the last days of life. Porta Caeli House provides individual rooms, meals and personal care.
The Legacy of St. Joseph Residence
The idea for Porta Caeli House grew from discussions following the closing of St. Joseph Residence, a home for HIV/AIDS patients that operated in conjunction with Catholic Charities from the late 1980s until 2010. Medical science and survival rates for HIV/AIDS patients increased, such that St. Joseph Residence and similar residences nationwide were no longer necessary. However, Catholic Charities began searching for another purpose similar to the St. Joseph Residence legacy, which centered on providing end-of-life care to those in need.
The aging population, the projected shortage of healthcare workers and individual and family economic situations indicated the need for Porta Caeli House. Proceeds from the sale of the St. Joseph Residence and the existing endowment were transferred to Porta Caeli House Corporation.
Get to know Porta Caeli House
Since January 2017, Porta Caeli House has been ensuring dignity and comfort during the dying process, all while helping guests make the most of their final journey. The staff and volunteers at Porta Caeli give guests a peaceful place and support their families during this difficult time. Care includes personal hygiene, assistance with activities of daily living, and meals. Under the directive of licensed hospice agencies, our home gives medications as a family member would within their own home. Because our home is an extension of persons home, guests are cared for as though they are family. Our home provides crisis relief for caregivers who are unable to manage on their own during those last, intense, and demanding days of caring for a dying loved one.
Services and Amenities
Guests at Porta Caeli House are provided with 24-hour care, as if they were at home with their own family. Learn more about the services we provide.
Photo Gallery
Porta Caeli House is widely praised for its beauty. See for yourself.
Driving Directions
Porta Caeli House is located behind the Catholic Charities Campus; turn off of Harvard on to St. James Way and go south to our home. Get directions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find out more about Porta Caeli by viewing answers to the most common questions about who we are and what we do.