To the editor:

Douglas County Visiting Nurses, Rehabilitation and Hospice Care wants to thank the community and especially the Lawrence Journal-World for the strong, positive support you have offered regarding the opening of our Hospice Care Cottage. This homelike setting offers end-of-life care for those in the community who live alone or do not have a caregiver available.

The care provided at the Care Cottage is not skilled care and though supervised by a registered nurse, direct care is provided by round-the-clock certified nurse aides.

According the statistics from the Hospice Association of America, Kansas provided hospice care to 8,943 patients in 2005. The majority of that hospice care was provided in the patient’s own home with the care and support of friends and family. When that support is not available, the Hospice Care Cottage is a choice to consider.

The Care Cottage is not staffed to provide the skilled nursing care or pain management that is offered in a hospital, so those considering hospice services should talk to their doctors. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Judith A. Bellome, CEO,
Douglas County Visiting Nurses, Rehabilitation and Hospice Care