Interview with Jeannette Ford
Jeannette Ford has been Director of Community Relations at Kansas City Hospice since 1980.
Q. Traditionally, African-Americans have made up only a small percentage of those who use hospice care. Is that true in Kansas City, and what do you see as some of the reasons for that?
A. Actually, African Americans make up a larger percentage of our families at KC Hospice than the national average, although it is still a relatively low number. Culturally, many families don’t like to talk about death and dying; and by the time there is a willingness to do so, it is often too late.
Historically, there are issues of mistrust within the African-American community toward the healthcare system. Hospitals are often seen as the “Cadillac” of healthcare—that’s where one goes to get the full range of available treatment and cure. So for many, a system like hospice that has traditionally focused on care in the home is not seen as a benefit but as a deprivation.
Changes in our society and in our reimbursement system also play a role. For many families, both adult children may work outside the house, so there is not a full-time caregiver available. And ironically, in part due to advances in medicine, we are now seeing much sicker people with more complex needs. For many families, these situations can be overwhelming and caring for a family member at home is too much.
In Kansas City, we’ve been able to address some of these issues with our 24-bed inpatient facility. At the Hospice House, we have definitely cared for families here who might have otherwise died in the hospital, or would have gone home but risked a high probability of re-hospitalization.
Q. Have you actively promoted hospice care to minority populations in Kansas City?
A. Because hospice is a voluntary health care option, we always want to be sure it’s being utilized by those who really want it. We have met with families who decide that they can handle their loved one’s care without hospice, and that is fine. And particularly in the African-American community, where there has been a history of not being able to access good medical care, there are families for whom hospice limits what they perceive as their opportunity to always try one more treatment.
We always aim to provide information about hospice as an option, but because of the financial limitations of our reimbursement system, hospice may never fully meet the needs of those who want that type of “open door” system.
Q. Tell us more about working with Gloria Thomas Anderson and utilizing her booklet in your outreach efforts.
A. Gloria’s social work advisor had called me about placing another student at KC Hospice. While we were talking she mentioned Gloria’s booklet and I saw an opportunity. KCH had been looking for a way to build relationships within the African-American community in Kansas City. Basing a program around Gloria’s booklet, we’ve hired an internal coordinator and are embarking on a three-year project that we hope will allow us to demonstrate the benefits of hospice care.
In some ways the program reflects a “typical” hospice marketing plan—hold meetings about hospice care, provide booklets and build a relationship as a community resource. But we will be targeting a more specific audience, the African-American community, and so we plan to build relationships, with churches and faith communities first. For many African-Americans, the church plays a core role in their lives and in their neighborhoods.
Over the next three years, we hope to see—by demonstrating the benefits of hospice, will we make an impact and change attitudes about hospice?
Q. What about Gloria’s booklet caught your attention?
A. The booklet is written from her perspective—by someone who has lived the experience. Having watched family members struggle with the issues of end-of-life decision making, she understands the obstacles very clearly. I also appreciate how she has intertwined the issue of faith in the subject matter. I also liked how the booklet discusses not only hospice but the broader topic of Advance Directives. That will allow us to really open up our presentations to a wider range of audiences and subject matter, and help people to think about these issues long before hospice may be necessary.
If you live in the Kansas City area and would like to receive a copy of this booklet or learn more about Kansas City Hospice's program, please contact Ms. Ford at jford@kchospice.org
If you live outside of Kansas City, you may request a booklet by emailing Ms. Thomas Anderson at gloria@hearttones.com
