Stillwater Hospice reports increased service use and higher staffing costs in third quarter
November 05, 2024 | Kosciusko County, Indiana
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Firdell said the hospice used the county allocation of $12,500 and has exceeded that amount for operational needs supporting palliative, hospice and grief services for Kosciusko County residents. She said wage increases to bring staff to market rates after hiring from Kosciusko Home Care and Hospice cost approximately $68,000 annually. Training and education costs for two Kosciusko County staff were cited at about $10,700 for the year.
Service figures presented by Firdell included 18 county residents who received palliative consults through the hospice at Lutheran Hospital during the quarter, 58 county residents served by the hospice and a combined total of 2,732 days of service during the period. Firdell also said the organization saw an increased need for grief support and is bringing on a local counselor, Cara Alaba, to provide evening individual grief counseling at the Health Services Pavilion. The hospice also reported outreach to about 144 individuals regarding grief services.
Commissioners praised the hospice’s work and expressed personal gratitude; no formal action was taken on the report.
Why it matters: The report signals an immediate funding shortfall relative to the county allocation and shows heightened local demand for hospice and grief services. County officials will have to monitor funding and service needs as staff costs and outreach increase.
Next steps: Commissioners did not take action during the meeting; future budget or funding discussions were not scheduled during the report.
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