Studies show most people, 80 percent of us, say we’d like to die at home when our time comes but only 25 percent of deaths occur at home.

Amy Burr, program director for Meadowlark Hospice, believes that’s because so few people understand palliative care services offered by hospice. “People don’t know what hospice is, “ Burr told Clay Center Rotarians Thursday. “They know it’s something for someone that’s dying and that’s it.Hospice is when you switch from curative care and focus on quantity of life to palliative care and controlling your symptoms to improve the quality of the life that you have left, making the most of those last moments rather than focusing on illness and hospitalization after hospitalization,” she said.

Hospice permits the patient to be at home with the family and have the resources they need available in their own home. She said hospice cares for the family as well as the patient and the disease. “We have social workers and chaplains available to talk with the family about issues they may be having,” Burr said.

Burr said there is no requirement patients be home bound, contrary to common belief. “There is no homebound requirement for hospice at all,” she said. “We encourage you to go take that final trip you want, go see your family or do a couple of things you’ve always wanted to do. We can make those arrangements so you can make that trip or do those things.”

Patients are eligible for hospice care at Meadowlark Hospice when a physician determines they have six months to live or less and they live in the service area. Some patients are able to be discharged from hospice care for a variety of reasons and then return as needed.

Some patients may be on hospice longer than six months and can remain in the program as long as they meet the criteria. Some opt to leave hospice and return to regular treatment and may return to hospice care if desired.
Meadowlark Hospice doesn’t provide 24-hour care, although nurses are available on call around the clock. The patient must have a primary care person at home or in a nursing facility for round the clock care.

Hospice nurses visit regularly, averaging two visits a week—more as the patient need increases in the terminal stages and need more medical management. Social workers help the families with financial and emotional needs and are available any time, normally visiting once a week. They also help with paperwork for things such as Medicaid or filling out durable power of attorney forms.

“The purpose of hospice is to relieve the burden of the family,” Burr said. The social workers coach families through the red tape and provide up to a year of bereavement care after the death if the family needs it. The services are tailored to the needs of the family. Home health aides can come in to do bathing or light housekeeping or some cooking. Up to five days per month of respite care in area hospitals and nursing homes is available to give family caregivers a break.

Burr said volunteers are an essential part of the hospice program. Seventy-three Meadowlark Hospice volunteers provide 13 to 14 percent of the care time and more volunteers are needed. Volunteers donated 617 hours of direct patient care in 2013 and 830 hour of indirect patient care.

Volunteers can sit with the patient, run errands for the family, bring food, or write out cards. Other volunteers help in the hospice office. “We have volunteers who didn’t know if hospice was for them. Being at the bedside of somebody that was dying was scary for them,” Burr said. “But I haven’t had one yet come back and say I wish I hadn’t done that. Most of them are saying I got way more out of this than I ever expected. That family gave me more than I ever could have possibly given them.”

Hospice provides a hospital bed if needed, wheel chairs, walkers, or other items that help a patient stay at home. Besides cancer patients, hospice serves patients with a dementia, COPD, congestive heart failure, and end stage heart disease.

Medicare pays for hospice services, including medication needed relating to the terminal diagnosis. Once the hospice benefits are started, the patient must give up CAT scans, MRIs, and going to the hospital.
Meadowlark Hospice serves thirty patients in each of the six counties in the system headquartered in Clay Center.  Meadowlark Hospice serves Clay, Cloud, Marshall, Republic, Washington and western Riley counties.

For more information call 785.632.2225 or visit meadowlarkhospice.org.