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 Thousands of terminally ill patients and their families have received support and services from a Kansas City nonprofit that has focused on quality of life for three decades.
“It has been a 30-year evolution,” Elaine McIntosh, Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care president and CEO, said. “That’s just going to continue.”
Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care marks its 30-year anniversary in 2010.
It reaches six counties in Missouri and three in Kansas, staffs more than 300 professionals, tallies more than 500 volunteers, and offers hospice and palliative services from prenatal infants to seniors in their 100th year.
“We want to provide patients and families the opportunity to let go of the anxiety and worry that comes with serious illness,” Donna Douglas, public relations specialist, said. “Then they can focus on each other (and) make a difficult transition one of great meaning.”
Hospice staffs physicians; registered nurses; social workers; chaplains; home health aides; physical, occupational, art and music therapists; and child/teen specialists with services including perinatal, grief support, pediatric palliative and hospice care, palliative home health care, symptom management, counseling, education and a 24-bed inpatient facility.
“All these are innovations that have come out of this organization,” McIntosh said. “They increase the depth and sophistication of what we can do for patients.”
McIntosh said early pioneering efforts of Ann Allegre, Kansas City Hospice’s first physician and current medical program director, provided a foundation of knowledge that launched the organization into a hospice and palliative care leader that medical professionals seek.
“We’ve done a tremendous amount of education for physicians and nurses,” McIntosh said.
In addition to ongoing training for physicians, nurses, social workers and therapists, McIntosh said Hospice educates church groups, seminary students and other groups interested in hospice and palliative care.
“The general public needs to be exposed to this, too,” she said. “This organization is mission oriented. We have touched thousands and thousands of families.”
McIntosh said family members who receive Hospice support services frequently turn around to volunteer with the organization.
Trained volunteers can raise funds, provide administrative services, give hospice home care, facilitate grieving children and donate their professional skills such as notaries, lawyers, hair stylists, massage therapists and pet therapists.
“There is no support like peer support,” McIntosh said. “People want to give back.”
Christine Rossi, Lenexa, Kan., has made home visits to seriously ill patients for 15 years as part of Kansas City Hospice’s volunteer force. She said jokingly for her to quit, they would have to fire her.
“I love it all,” she said. “I love my patients. I’ve never walked in a home where I meet a stranger. We’re all so connected. We all need each other.”
Rossi, a retired platform speaker, seminar trainer and author of “How to Survive Negativity in Your Life,” stays with patients for two to four hours performing tasks like feeding them ice cubes or food, changing their clothes, cleaning leaks and keeping them comfortable “so they would have their dignity,” she said. “I hold them. I hug them.”
Spending time with the patient allows family members to run errands. On the other hand, if the family wishes, Rossi will pick up groceries and mail, or drive to the dry cleaners. She said she is there to serve.
“It’s very individual,” she said.
Rossi said she is comfortable spending time with patients during the “11th hour,” when they are dying.
She accommodates patients who ask her to sing spiritual songs like “Amazing Grace” and reads religious books or inspirational verses.
“We don’t believe anybody should die alone,” Rossi said. “I hold a lot of hands.”
For more information about Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care, visit www.kansascityhospice.org.
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