Discharge planners and case managers bear the important responsibility of helping to provide patients with a smooth transition as they move from one source of health care to another. Kansas hospice providers hope that this information is helpful to you. The Association of Kansas Hospices will be happy to answer any questions or address any concerns that you have.

To help facilitate a smooth transition, we ask that you help to identify all patients who should know that hospice is an option. Hospice patients:

• Have illnesses or conditions from which they will not recover
• Likely have a life expectancy of months rather than years
• Are ready for comfort or palliative care rather than curative measures
• Want to be in a caring environment among family and friends

When a patient is appropriate for hospice, or even if they may become appropriate for hospice care, we believe it will be helpful to your patients if you will:

• Inform them or the hospice(s) that serves their community
• Contact the hospice of the patient's choice as soon as possible (Hospices will work with the discharge planner or case manager to identify appropriate care needed.)
• Share with the patient the information from the documnet "Is Hospice an Option for You?"

LOCATING A HOSPICE

• Check your local Yellow Pages
• Go to www.lifeproject.org/akh.htm and click on "How Can I Find a Hospice Program."
• Enter the name of the patient's county to see hospices that serve that area.
• Call the LIFE Project for further information.

We can help you as you help your patients begin to think about and prepare for end-of-life care by:

• Giving them a LIFE Project bookmark. (Contact us to order)
• Post the wall chart titled "End of Life: Kansans Deserve Excellent Care" in waiting rooms, exam rooms, etc. (Contact us to order)
• Share the information from the document "Is Hospice an Option for You?"
• Invite the LIFE Project to offer an in-service presentation for your staff or to your community. We will happily provide a speaker who can share on several topics.

Back Top Next Site Map