Hospice of Southern Kentucky is celebrating 40 years of providing exceptional care to our community’s families who are caring for a loved one at the end of life, or who are rebuilding their lives after their heartbreaking loss. In this 40th year we will reflect on our storied history, celebrate with the friends we’ve made along the way, honor those we have served, and prepare for the future to come.
“Hospice” is not simply a place, it’s a patient-centered support system that travels to wherever the patient calls home. Check out some of these surprising aspects of end-of-life care with Hospice of Southern Kentucky…
It’s about living. Hospice of Southern Kentucky exists to give the individual back control of their life by relieving pain, providing spiritual and emotional support, and empowering families to enjoy their time together and make memories! We take care of the equipment, medications and supplies so you can focus on living life.
It’s not meant for just the last few days. Individuals can enjoy the benefits of Hospice care for months or longer! Often times the most frequent feedback from individuals and families is they wish they would have elected Hospice sooner. Once you’re ready, the goal of electing Hospice care is to ensure the individual is physically and emotionally comfortable.
It’s not “giving up.” A terminal diagnosis is never easy to accept, but what happens next is for the individual and family to decide. The comfort of having a specialized medical team to coordinate care night and day (even on the weekends) is comforting and the resulting care is empowering! Hospice of Southern Kentucky focuses on the best days, not the last days.
It offers spiritual care. A chaplain is a multi-faith spiritual counselor who is available to every person receiving Hospice services. The chaplain’s responsibility is not to “convert” the individual to a particular religion or spiritual perspective. Rather, chaplains are expertly trained to help people find comfort in their own spirituality and cultural traditions. In no way do they replace a person’s existing faith leader, but complements the existing support system.
It’s not a place. Hospice of Southern Kentucky was the first to open an in-patient facility in South Central Kentucky but even still, the majority of the care we provide is in an individual’s home. At times it can be beneficial for an individual receiving Hospice services in their home to visit our Hospice House, such as when their symptoms are not adequately controlled or the caregiver needs a short respite. Once stabilized, the individual returns home with minimal interruption to their lives.
It offers continuing support. Hospice of Southern Kentucky provides grief and bereavement support services for the friends and family surrounding the death of a loved one. Our highly-trained professionals can assist in memorial services, provide reading materials and offer in-person and phone support as long as needed.
It’s about each individual’s life and care – and their choice. Our resource coordinators offer advanced care planning to every individual receiving Hospice services. These conversations about one’s values and personal preferences for end-of-life care are essential and are shown to result in a more peaceful death. Our staff helps the individual create the legal documents reflecting their wishes and designating someone to make decisions on their behalf if they are unable to do so.
To celebrate Hospice of Southern Kentucky’s 40th Anniversary, the inaugural “Keys To Living” Raffle will be held April 10th! Can you see yourself driving a brand new 2021 Chevy LT 1500 Trail Boss? It could be yours! Stop by Campbell Chevrolet for tickets or visit hospicesoky.org/keys-to-living to purchase online! Questions? Call 270-746-9387.
-submitted by Hospice of Southern Kentucky
