Susan Hawk, with Allen County Regional Hospice, spoke at the September See, Hear Iola Friday about the services hospice provides for patients.
Hospice is a service for a patient who has received the news that they have a terminal illness.
“Education is a big piece of our services,” she said. “We educate the family on how to provide care in the home so the patient is comfortable.”
Patients can be referred by a hospital or doctor but hospice must receive the permission from the patient, Hawk said. Hospice must look at the patient’s diagnosis for them to qualify. A diagnoses must say in six months the patient will pass but people have lived much longer and have even been discharged from care.
“The patient is involved in making the decision of what they want in any given situation,” she said.
There are different aspects to a patients care. Hawk is a medical social worker and helps patients with emotional and spiritual support. There are volunteer chaplains and from the community who provide support for someone who doesn’t have a pastor.
The nurses who come into the homes to treat patients are experts in end-of-life care. There are also volunteers who simply visit with patients if they would like someone to talk to.
Hospice is there to help with any need the patient might have but they don’t want to intrude, Hawk said.
“We want to provide quality care and quality is being with family and spending time with them,” she said.
Hospice accepts Medicare and some private insurance, but there are some patients who aren’t insured. Hawk said they turn no one away
“Our goal is comfort and we ask ‘are they able to live their life to the best of their ability while they are going down the journey they’re on?” she said
Berkley Kerr, director of the park and cemetery department, gave the city update. The parks department maintains eight parks, the rail trail and two cemeteries. Department members help mow parks and cemeteries and assist people with finding graves.
Steve Hoag, owner of Promotional Products, was the commercial speaker. Promotional Products provides specialized T-shirts, cups, hats, calendars, envelops, etc. for clients. Hoag is from Yates Center and lives in Iola.
“I started out as a sales rep for Hawk Business Specialties in late 1990s,” Hoag said.
He then went into banking in 2002 before he created Promotional Products.
The company has several plaques and large signs around Iola and recently created the large way-finding signs on the rail trail. He can be contacted at 620-228-0131.
There are currently 44 real estate listings in Iola. So far this year 29 properties have been sold which matches up with last year’s sales.
Thirty-seven properties were sold countywide last year and this year is a mirror image. There are currently 55 listings in Allen County.
Hospice program provides end-of-life services
