Montrose - Daily Press

Jim Hoganson
About Hospice

When I was a child, nobody talked about dying. Adults might discuss it in hushed tones, but my overall impression was that it was a big, awful, vaguely indecent thing that wasn’t discussed in polite company. I must say, things have changed.

That change began in 1974, when the nation’s first hospice was established in New Haven, Connecticut. Today, there are approximately 4,700 hospice programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The majority of hospices are independent, freestanding agencies. Those remaining are either part of a hospital system, home health agency or nursing home.

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The Medicare Hospice Benefit, enacted by Congress in 1982, gave a big boost to hospice — it’s something our government got right when it comes to health care. In 2007, an estimated 1.4 million Americans received hospice services — and the number grows every year. Medicare paid for nearly 84 percent of these patients, with the balance paid for by private insurance, Medicaid and other means.

Here on the Western Slope, Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado was founded  in 1993 as a nonprofit organization through the cooperation of St. Mary’s Hospital, Community Hospital, Hilltop, Rocky Mountain Health Plans and the VA Medical Center.  They saw the need for a single hospice care organization and they banded together to make it happen with the hiring of Christy Whitney, RN, who continues today as our CEO.

From its modest inception—with 5 staff members and 20 patients that first year—Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado has become a trusted friend to patients and families throughout Mesa, Delta, Montrose and Ouray Counties. Last year, we cared for more than 1,400 patients — and as I write this column, we are caring for nearly 400 patients a day, at home, in the hospital, in assisted living and nursing homes and in the Hospice Care Center.  It’s not uncommon to hear people refer to Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado as “my hospice.”

November is National Hospice Month. As we celebrate it, I have to marvel at how things have changed in 35 years. It’s as if someone walked into a dark room, flung open the curtains and let in the light of day. More and more people understand that death is a normal part of life and that no one should die alone or in pain. 

Pain and comfort levels can be discussed frankly — along with financial matters, medications and special equipment requirements, such as a hospital-style bed or a commode. Patients participate in developing a “plan of care” that suits their needs and their desires. And families are offered monthly grief education letters and counseling for a year after the patient passes.

In closing, I think it is important to point out that, just as all hospitals are different, so all hospices are different. Recently, we’ve begun to tell people:  All hospices are not the same.  Please ask for us by name. Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado. We’ll be there for you!

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