Tori Edwardson sees it as a privilege to work with individuals in their last stage of life. As a certified social worker for Hosparus Health, Edwardson knows the situation requires a lot of trust and wants to be there both for patients and families anyway she can.
“One of the things that people think about us is that we’re really for the last few weeks or days of someone’s life, but it’s beneficial for us to start with families as early as possible,” Edwardson says. “If we start with services early, it allows the patient and their families to build trust with the team. We just try to make one of the most difficult parts of anyone’s journey much easier and more accessible. We can offer a lot of different things that can take some burden off patients and families at this stage of life.”
Hosparus Health has provided hospice and serious illness care to tens of thousands of patients and their families in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. A fully accredited nonprofit, Hosparus Health works with patients of all ages and backgrounds, delivering care through a team-oriented approach that is tailored to each person’s needs and wishes.
“Patients have the same team consistently throughout their services,” Edwardson adds. “A nurse, physician, social worker and chaplain come to see patients in the home. We all work together as part of a unit. We meet every couple of weeks to discuss the patients and their needs. We try to have a very holistic approach to end of life care and the grief that comes along with that.”
In addition to hospice and serious illness care, Hosparus Health provides grief counseling, respite care and medication management. Translators are also available to communicate with patients with significant hearing loss or who cannot speak or understand the English language. Volunteers can be enlisted to help families with many everyday needs.
“When we come in, we give a very comprehensive overview of the services we offer,” Edwardson says. “People will say they had no idea how many things we can do. A lot of people have no idea what to expect and what that process looks like at this stage. We really try to meet people where they are and see what services they are needing. It’s just seeing what their priorities are and offering that holistic approach on how we can get through this.”
Edwardson primarily serves individuals in the St. Matthews area, and has come to appreciate its uniqueness. Recently, Hosparus Health broke ground on a new end-of-life care center that will open its doors in 2027 on Ephraim McDowell Drive, next to the Harshaw Family Grief Counseling Center.
“The area is just so full of characters,” Edwardson says. “The people are lovely and very proud to be from St. Matthews. I love hearing their stories of how they came to be here. I’m very grateful to the people in this area for trusting us with their care.”
For more information on Hosparus Health, call 502-456-6200 or visit them online at hosparushealth.org.
