a community-based non-profit agency
Acceptance of Hospice Care
Throughout the Years
More people are using hospice
services than ever. According to
the National Hospice and Palliative
Care Organization (NHPCO), in 1974
there was one hospice program in the
U.S., growing to 1,545 in 1985 and
then to 5,000 in 2009. The number
of patients served has also grown
from over 100,000 in 1985 to over
1,500,000 in 2009.
At Pathways Hospice we’ve also
experienced an increase in the
utilization of hospice services. From
1983 to 1991 Pathways Hospice (then
Hospice of Larimer County) served
a total of 1,000 patients. In 2011
alone 1,031 patients received care. In
1994, on any given day, 42 patients
were under our care. By 2011, that
average daily census had risen to 141.
This seems to indicate that there is
more acceptance of hospice care as an
end-of-life choice, but acceptance is a
difficult thing to measure.
Barb Hope, a community Nurse
Practitioner and member of the
Pathways Hospice Ethics Committee,
has worked in long term care for
the majority of her extensive career.
Though her early professional
experience was with mothers and
babies, life circumstances shifted her
focus in another direction. Working
with an older population, Ms. Hope
experienced end of life care and has
been impacted by this both personally
and professionally.
Over time, she has seen attitudes
regarding hospice care change. When
asked about her experience conversing
with nursing home residents and their
families about hospice care, Ms. Hope
indicates she finds people more open
to talking about it now than they
were in the past. Historically, there
seemed to be on-going emotional
discomfort with accepting hospice
care. Some were inclined to feel that
using hospice care meant they were
giving up. Ms. Hope says that now,
once a person has agreed to hospice
services, they report more peace of
mind knowing that hospice is there to
provide care and support.
Dr. Joseph Lopez agrees. Dr. Lopez,
in private practice in Fort Collins for
the past 29 years, has been a part
time Medical Director for Pathways
Hospice for the last 21 years. He
reports that there have been changes
in acceptance of hospice as a care
alternative, but there is still some
resistance. He has also experienced
the response from families that the
physician is “giving up” when hospice
is suggested. In his conversations
with his patients, he finds that a
change in language is helpful. He
lets people know that considering
hospice is not giving up, but changing
gears. He assures them that choosing
a palliative approach means they
will still receive all the treatment
needed for comfort and symptom
management.
Evan Hyatt, CEO of Pathways Hospice
CEO at Pathways
Hospice Assumes
State-wide
Leadership Role
Evan Hyatt, Chief Executive Officer
at Pathways Hospice, has been
elected to the Board of Directors for
the Colorado Center for Hospice and
Palliative Care (our State Hospice
Organization) beginning in 2013. The
election resulted in six new board
members throughout the state. Evan’s
expertise in hospice care and his
strategic and leadership insights
will benefit this association and
also will help Pathways Hospice to be
better connected and informed of the
continuously changing hospice and
healthcare environment.
Ms. Hope foresees changes related
to growth in the number of baby
boomers and heightened awareness of
end-of-life choices. She predicts that
this group will be more informed, will
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