Print edition: 
For nearly three decades, Kansas hospice leaders, staff and volunteers have been working to improve the care provided to people during their last days, weeks and months of life. In recognition of November as National Hospice Month, I want to thank hospice for its contribution to improving the quality of life for so many Kansas families.
Many of us have been directly affected by hospice, and I am no exception. I have seen and experienced firsthand the inspirational care provided by hospice.
While in college, I lost my father to cancer when he was just a couple years older than I am now. Just like many Kansans, I spent a lot of time at the bedside of someone I loved dearly who was nearing the end of life.
Years later, when my husband, Mark, and I operated elder care facilities, I saw hospice provide ongoing devotion and care to many of our residents. I learned that most hospice workers find this is a calling rather than a job.
In the Sunflower State, we have 70 hospice centers, supported by dedicated nurses, social workers, chaplains, home health aides, medical directors and volunteers. Hospice workers and volunteers uphold a central belief that all people have the right to die with dignity and that their families should receive the necessary support to assist them. Hospice serves anyone facing a life-limiting illness, regardless of age or illness. Most important, hospice workers provide services to individuals in whatever setting they call home. The primary focus of hospice is in keeping the patient comfortable, while promoting dignity and peace of mind.
It's been 35 years since the first hospice facility was founded in the United States, and since then more than 4,700 hospice programs have been established throughout the country. Last year, 1.45 million patients received services from hospice, and 38.5 percent of all U.S. deaths were under the care of a hospice. In addition to providing palliative care and comfort, deaths in hospitals have decreased, and terminally ill hospice patients are likely to live an average of 29 days longer compared with non-hospice patients.
Yet beyond the statistics, hospice provides so much more. It strives to bring relief of suffering, emotional support and practical help to those people who are going through the final phase of illness. Hospice takes care of the patient, as well as loved ones. Whether the patient is at home, in a nursing facility or a hospice facility, hospice is there with an outstretched hand, specialized expertise and genuine compassion.
Losing a loved one is never easy. People deserve to be comfortable, deserve peace of mind and deserve to be at home — wherever they may call home. Families deserve assurance that their loved ones are safe and secure, that they are receiving quality medical care and that they have the time to find closure.
All of us will know the sorrow that comes with bidding farewell to someone dear. Hospice is one thing that can help ease the journey.
I extend my sincerest thanks to everyone who provides hospice care in our state, and I offer my condolences to all who have lost someone; we share the universality of the human experience of grief.
