By: Dr. Pam Harris
KCH Director of Medical Programs
November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. Announced in 1978 by then President Jimmy Carter, the month was established to recognize the efforts of those who provide end-of-life care and to help raise awareness of the growing hospice movement.
In 2022, hospice programs in the US provided care to more than 1.72 million people. President Carter’s beloved wife of 77 years, Rosalyn, an advocate for mental health research and home caregiver support, received hospice care prior to her death from complications of dementia last November. Sadly, she only received care for 2 days prior to her death at home, highlighting how frequently hospice referrals are not made until late in the course of one’s illness.
On the other end of the spectrum, President Carter himself entered hospice care in February 2023 and is an example of the many benefits of a longer length of stay on hospice care. He recently celebrated his 100th birthday on October 1 and on October 16 fulfilled a personal wish of living long enough to vote in this year’s presidential election, by casting an early ballot in his home state of Georgia.
President Carter’s grandson, Jason, has been updating the public about the former president’s condition. “People ask how my grandfather’s doing, and he’s remarkably, basically, in the same position he’s been in since he went into hospice, and that was 19 months ago now,” he said at a recent meeting of the Board of Councilors at The Carter Center. “And when he went into hospice, we thought it was a matter of days, weeks, really. And, of course, we’re not in charge. He is very physically diminished.… He can’t do much on his own.”
Despite his physical challenges, he was able to attend his wife’s funeral with assistance. He also enjoys talking about the Atlanta Braves baseball team with his family. Read more about Former President Jimmy Carter’s hospice experience by reading, Jimmy Carter’s long stay in hospice dispels myths about end-of-life care.
KCH is Committed to the Future of Quality Hospice Care in KC
Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care (KCH) has been an area leader in our field since 1980.
Our medical staff members actively train the next generation of hospice and palliative medicine practitioners. Each year, we train four fellows in conjunction with the University of Kansas, three adult and one pediatric hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) fellows. Our fellowship is unique in that the fellows get equal time training in hospice, including inpatient hospice as well as home and facility visits, rather than training mostly in an academic palliative care environment. When our current fellows graduate in 2025, we will have helped train 58 fellows through this program.
We also intermittently get students, residents, and fellows from other programs who want more of an immersion experience with inpatient hospice. In addition, our nurse practitioners serve as instructors for APRN students who also want hospice experience. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Annabelle Hendrix, one of our previous fellows and current Associate Medical Director, for completing her board certification in HPM!
The KCH Focus on Quality Care Continues
Healthcare continues to evolve every day, as do the challenges we face with each of those changes. Through it all, though, Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care has kept its focus on what matters most: Our mission is to bring expert care, peace of mind, comfort, guidance, and hope to people who are affected by serious illness or by grief. We’ve proudly maintained our nonprofit status and provide charitable care to those without insurance or Medicare coverage. As we prepare to celebrate another anniversary, we look forward to doing so for many years to come.
(Sources: The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Facts and Figures, 2024, published by the National Alliance for Care at Home. Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.)
Considering hospice for yourself or a family member? Visit our website at KCHospice.org or call anytime at 816.363.2600.
Posted in Hospice Care, Kansas City Hospice, PaIliative Care