Hospice by the Sea's roots run deep in our community.

In December 1978, we were started by a small group of citizen volunteers in Boca Raton who wanted to change the way people traditionally spent the final chapter of their lives. They believed that the dying should be afforded the simple gifts of peace, comfort, and dignity.

Hospice by the Sea's first home was a tiny storefront on Palmetto Park Road, run by a staff of seven volunteers. The following year, the organization was incorporated, and in 1981, we became the second hospice organization to be licensed in Florida. Also in 1981, we added a home health agency, HomeCare by the Sea, to our organization. 

First known as Hospice of Boca Raton, we changed our name to Hospice by the Sea as we expanded our operations throughout all of Palm Beach and Broward counties, an area larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined.

In the summer of 1989, we opened our 30-bed inpatient care center in Boca Raton, Fla. at 1531 West Palmetto Park Road. The Boca Raton care center serves families in both Palm Beach and Broward counties.  This location is also home to our administrative offices.

In the fall of 2001, Hospice by the Sea established an 18-bed inpatient care center in Hollywood, Fla. within Memorial Regional Hospital South, located at 3600 Washington Street.  The Hollywood care center primarily serves families in southern Broward County. 

2008 was a year of change and growth for Hospice by the Sea.  In April, our home health agency's name changed to FocusCare and its services shifted to primarily support patients with cancer and respiratory illnesses.  In May, a new unit of Hospice by the Sea, Harbor Palliative Care Services opened at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. to offer relief from pain and other symptoms to critically ill patients in the hospital.  Since then, Harbor has cared for more than 500 patients.  In December, Hospice by the Sea celebrated 30 years of service to nearly 70,000 families in Palm Beach and Broward counties.