The Unmet Need

Hospice care provides a framework to improve the quality of life for individuals with terminal illness, their families and other caregivers. The benefits of hospice services are well documented. Despite this the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization estimates that only 40% of those eligible for hospice care are receiving hospice services.

Individuals in the inner city are even less likely to receive hospice services. Utilization rates studied in a major eastern city were more than a third lower than the national average.

We see the following as unmet needs to be addressed in a new hospice program:

· Hospice care for inner-city populations, especially under-resourced individuals and families.

· Access to hospice care in general; education and care for individuals, across economic and social spectrums, who do not understand the concept and benefit of hospice care.

· Increased use and understanding of hospice care within the community of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

· Full support of spiritual concerns for hospice staff, participants, and families.

Meeting the Need

In order to meet these needs we are exploring the models of care used by hospices and other agencies working in the inner city. We are working to create collaborative relationships with organizations that have extensive experience in our target communities.

A four-phase program is planned, including:

· Our current start-up program ‑ initial planning and fundraising.

· Educational program  ‑ an ongoing program to promote quality end-of-life care in the underserved, Friends, and general community, begins April 2005.

· Home hospice care ‑ a fully licensed and Medicare/Medicaid-certified program, starting care in 2006.

· Residential hospice house ‑ an inner-city facility to open two to three years after the home care program.

Our Vision

We envision that our work, services, and operations will be grounded in Quaker life and testimonies.

We will provide high-quality care, including the most up-to-date hospice care and alternate therapies, to all who need our services.

We will create a program that is designed to serve people usually considered difficult or undesirable by most hospice agencies. These include the uninsured, the homeless, the mentally ill, and those without caregivers. Our systems will be designed to make the admission and care of these individuals as routine as any other hospice participant.

We will offer an extensive, ongoing educational program designed to increase the understanding and use of hospice care in the underserved and Friends communities.

We will carry out each aspect of this service with an openness to the spirituality of ordinary and daily acts. We will respect and nurture the spirituality of hospice staff, participants, and families.

Program