Hospice Care: Loving them Home

Article excerpts reprinted with permission from HaysPost By Cristina Janney

Perhaps the hardest thing we have to do as families is to figure out how to say goodbye as someone nears the end of their life. Hospice tries to help families through that process. “Trying to figure out how do I say goodbye. How do I tie things up — all those loose ends and asking for forgiveness or apologizing or even giving permission to let that person go when they’re ready,” Myrna Jordan, hospice social worker, said.

HaysMed Hospice serves four counties: Ellis, Rooks, Russell and Rush. In 2023, they served 158 patients. Medicaid, Medicare and some private insurance can cover hospice. Some people think hospice care is just for cancer patients, but it is for anyone nearing the end of life.

Helen Windholz, hospice registered nurse, said going into hospice care can be freeing. She said she especially sees this in cancer patients who have had to go through chemo and constant lab testing. “I think sometimes the patient is ready for that before the family is,” she said. “That’s all we focus on, and then they get to be a person again. It’s not so much about the labels and the medical part. This is about who they were as a person and still are.”

Hospice care is administered at home which means different things for each patient; it can be in a residence, assisted living, nursing home, or at HaysMed.

“You get to be in charge and be with your family and who you want,” Jordan said, “or your dog, your cat, your donkey, whatever. You get to be home. … No machines, no lights and sirens. It’s your bed and the things that are important to you on the walls. Your family can come and go as they want.”

In addition, Hospice offers bereavement services to family and friends for up to 12 months. It has specially trained volunteers who help make follow-up phone calls.

Jordan said hospice care is the best care nobody wants to have. Despite the challenges of working with the dying and grieving, she feels as if she’s never worked a day in her life.

“We just get to love them home, and there’s nothing like this,” Jordan said.

Many of the tools and patient/family support services provided by HaysMed’s dedicated and caring Hospice staff and volunteers are made possible through memorial contributions and direct donations to the Hospice Fund at the HaysMed Foundation.

To see the full Hays Post two-part feature visit HaysPost.com.