Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Forbes: Kansas one of the worst states in which to die
[Matthew Herper and Aude Lagorce, "The best places to die," Forbes, 18 August 2004.]
As an hospitable final resting place, Kansas ranks close to the bottom. A new analysis by Forbes magazine places Kansas at 41st in the nation. The researchers looked at the following factors: Health care quality; Legal protection; Cancer deaths in hospital, in nursing homes, or at home; Percent of Medicare patients using hospice in the last year of life; and Estate Taxes.
In America, the way we die is largely determined by where we live. Geography dictates what kind of care is provided to the dying and whether death following a long illness occurs at home, in a hospital or in a nursing home. But don't move just yet. Patients can gain control over how they die by talking about end-of-life care with their families and physicians. If patients speak up, sheer numbers will force the health care system to take better care of the dying. Over the next 30 years, the number of people older than 85 will more than double to 9 million.
[John McClaughry, "Patient Power: A Health Care Reform Agenda for Kansas," The Flint Hills Center, May 2004.]
[Matthew Herper and Aude Lagorce, "The best places to die," Forbes, 18 August 2004.]
As an hospitable final resting place, Kansas ranks close to the bottom. A new analysis by Forbes magazine places Kansas at 41st in the nation. The researchers looked at the following factors: Health care quality; Legal protection; Cancer deaths in hospital, in nursing homes, or at home; Percent of Medicare patients using hospice in the last year of life; and Estate Taxes.
In America, the way we die is largely determined by where we live. Geography dictates what kind of care is provided to the dying and whether death following a long illness occurs at home, in a hospital or in a nursing home. But don't move just yet. Patients can gain control over how they die by talking about end-of-life care with their families and physicians. If patients speak up, sheer numbers will force the health care system to take better care of the dying. Over the next 30 years, the number of people older than 85 will more than double to 9 million.
[John McClaughry, "Patient Power: A Health Care Reform Agenda for Kansas," The Flint Hills Center, May 2004.]
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