Hospice/Palliative Care
785-623-6200 or 1-800-248-0073
2220 Canterbury Drive
Hays, KS 67601 | Directions
Do I need a special physician to receive Hospice services?
The person can continue with their physician of choice while on Hospice. Hospice also has a Medical Director who oversees the program.
Do I have to live in my own home to receive Hospice services?
Hospice services are generally provided in the patient’s home. This may be an apartment, assisted living, a friend or family member’s home, or a nursing home. In order to receive services when residing in a nursing home or assisted living center, Hospice must have a contract with the facility.
Ho do I obtain Hospice Services?
Services are usually started at the request of the primary physician. However, inquiries can be made by the patient, family, friends, clergy or other health care providers. Hospice services are indicated when curative treatment will no longer be effective or is no longer desired by the patient. Permission of the patient or representative, Hospice Medical Director and primary physician are required.
What services does Hospice Provide?
Hospice care is provided by an interdisciplinary team of health care professionals and volunteers. The services routinely provided are nursing visits, social worker visits, hospice aide visits and pastoral care visits. Specially trained volunteers are available to assist when desired by the patient or family. Volunteers do not provide hands-on care. Other services provided when needed are physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and nutritional counseling. A Hospice nurse is on call 24/7. Hospice pays for medications, medical supplies and equipment related to comfort for the terminal illness.
What is Hospice Care appropriate?
Hospice care is appropriate for any person from birth forward who has an illness which cannot be cured and for which life expectancy is less than six months. Hospice is available for any illness, examples are: Stroke and Coma, Heart Disease, HIV, ALS, Alzheimer’s Dementia, Lung Disease, Renal Disease, Cancer and any other disease in the terminal phase.
Who pays for Hospice Care?
Medicare, Medicaid and some private insurances cover Hospice. Hospice cares for people regardless of insurance coverage. Hospice relies on donations and memorials to cover costs that exceed monies received from insurance.
Do I have to be home-bound?
Hospice patients do not have to be home bound and are encouraged to be as active as they wish.
Our Mission
To enhance life’s journey by offering care and education with respect, dignity and hope to individuals and families facing serious illness, death and grief by providing the best experience that humankind can offer.
Hospice is compassionate care for people of all ages facing a life-limiting illness. Hospice provides a team approach to medical care, pain & symptom management and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the person’s needs and wishes. Support is provided to the person’s loved ones as well.
Hospice at Hays Medical Center is Medicare certified and licensed and has been providing services in Ellis, Rooks, Rush and Russell counties since 1978.
Hospice:
- focuses on comfort and quality of life when cure is not possible, honoring the wishes of the person and their family.
- provides physical, spiritual and emotional care to the person and their loved ones.
- care is provided by a team of health professionals and volunteers.
- nurses are on call 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
- covers medication, medical supplies and medical equipment for comfort related to the terminal illness.
- care is provided in the person’s home, nursing home or assisted living center.
- is available to persons of any age, religion, race or illness.
- care is covered under Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurance plans. No one is denied Hospice care due to limited or no insurance coverage.
- patients do not have to be home-bound and are encouraged to be as active as they wish to be.
- provides bereavement services for at least 15 months to the surviving family.
Member of NHPCO (National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization — www.nhpco.org)
Community Memory Tree
Each year HaysMed Hospice sponsors a Community Memory Tree during the holiday season for you to honor someone special in your life. For a small donation of $20 a brass dove will be displayed on one of two trees located at the Miller Medical Pavilion at HaysMed and in the Dessin Fournir building at 308 W. Mill in Plainville.
Education Offerings
Hospice staff are available to provide Education classes or community in-services when requested on these and other topics related to End-of-Life care:
- Hospice Care
- Volunteering for Hospice
- Grief and Bereavement Care
- Pain & Symptom Management at the End-of-Life
- Palliative Care – caring for the whole person and the family
- Spiritual Care at the End of Life
- Psychosocial Issues of the Patient and Family when Dealing with a Terminal Illness
- Ethical and Legal Issues related to the End-of-Life
- Advanced Directives such as Living Wills and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
Contact the Hospice office to schedule a presentation at 785.623.6200 or 1.800.248.0073
Hospice Volunteers
Volunteers are an essential part of Hospice. Volunteers bring their own unique skills and gifts and can help in a variety of roles such as:
- Staying with the patient to give the caregiver a break;
- Providing companionship;
- Calling or visiting bereaved family members;
- Assisting with support groups;
- Office help such as mailing, copying, computer work, filing;
- Craft projects such as the caregiver baskets, quilts, memorial candles, holiday activities, baking;
- Assisting with events such as the memorial services, volunteer training, the Community Memory Tree, garage sales, National Hospice month activities, All- American Breakfast.
If you are 18 or older and are interested in volunteering for Hospice, contact our office at 785-623-6200 or 1-800-248-0073.
Who is the Hospice Team?
- Medical Director
- Attending physician
- Chaplain
- Aide
- Nurses
- Social Worker
- Volunteers
- Speech, Physical, Occupational and other
Therapists, if needed
What does the Hospice Team do?
- Works together to focus on the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the person;
- Provides support for the family;
- Manages pain and other symptoms;
- Provides emotional support;
- Provides medications, medical supplies and equipment for comfort related to the terminal illness;
- Provides teaching and support to the person and caregivers;
- Arranges for short-term inpatient care available for symptoms that cannot be managed at home, or if the caregiver needs respite;
- Provides grief support to surviving loved ones for at least 15 months.
How often does the Team visit?
For each person and family, the interdisciplinary team writes a care plan with the person/family based on their individual needs. All visits are based on the person and family needs and the condition of the person during the course of the illness. In addition, Hospice nurses are on call 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
Palliative Care
What is Palliative Care?
Interdisciplinary care that aims to relieve suffering and improve quality of life for patients with advanced illness and their families. It is offered simultaneously with all other appropriate medical treatments.
Benefits of Palliative Care
Palliative care is the key to:
- Understand the plan of care
- Navigate a complex and confusing medical system
- Review options available in the healthcare system
- Provide practical and emotional support for exhausted family caregivers
- Help coordinate and control care options
- Allow simultaneous palliation of suffering along with continued disease-modifying treatments (no requirement to give up curative care)
- Patients understand options and feel more in control
- Right care at right time manages pain and fear
- Lower complexity also reduces risk of “falling between the cracks” in the complicated medical system
- Relieve symptom distress: pain, nausea, breathlessness, anxiety, depression, fatigue, weakness
- Focus on the patient and the family, not on interventions