Hospice Care

Hospice care is a specialized form of end-of-life care that prioritizes pain management, symptom control and overall well-being. Hospice care is a compassionate and supportive option for people nearing the end of their lives. 

Hospice care brings together a team of specialized experts, including doctors, nurses, social workers, spiritual advisers and trained volunteers. Because hospice is an approach to care, it is not tied to a specific place.

We provide hospice care in the home, in our Hospice House, in a nursing home or in an assisted living facility. Regardless of the location, our team provides expert medical care, pain management and emotional and spiritual support. We tailor our support to each person and extend that assistance to family members and caregivers, so they can focus on their loved one.

The goal of hospice is to provide comfort, dignity and respect during a challenging time. At The University of Kansas Health System, our team’s mission is to meet the physical and emotional needs of the terminally ill and their families.

Our Olathe Campus serves residents of Johnson, Miami, Douglas, Franklin, Linn, Anderson and Wyandotte counties who are facing end-of-life illnesses.

Hospice care is a specific type of palliative care that is provided in the final weeks or months of life. Hospice care is:

• Care provided by a compassionate staff with specialized training in pain control and symptom management 
• End-of-life comfort, not curative care 
• Physician-directed care 
• Care for the whole patient, not just the illness, with physical, emotional and spiritual needs included in the care plan 
• Not about dying, but living your best life to the very end 

Hospice care is specialized care that provides physical comfort and emotional, social and spiritual support for people nearing the end of life. Hospice is available to anyone, regardless of their diagnosis:  

• With a limited life expectancy 
• Who is no longer seeking curative treatment 
• With knowledge of their prognosis 
• Who agrees to hospice care 
• Who has a primary caregiver, such as a family member, friend or hired care provider

At the end of our lives, hospice care provides:

• An option for expert pain management and symptom control in your home when working toward a cure is no longer an option 
• Family teaching, support and involvement 
• Patient care by nurses and certified home health aides  
• 24-hour, on-call support from a hospice RN 
• Emotional and spiritual support for you and your family through professional counselors, social workers and trained volunteers 
• Loving support of family members during bereavement

We are accredited by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and The Joint Commission, and funded primarily through Medicare or Medicaid reimbursements, donations, memorials and medical insurance. Some private medical insurance providers pay for hospice services.

We continue to provide services after your loved one has passed away. You can meet with us 1-on-1 or connect with a support group. We also conduct memorial services in the spring and fall.