An Advocate for Compassionate End-of-Life Care: Laura Warhol at the Hastings Senior Expo

Laura Warhol

Discover how Laura Warhol, a Senior Hospice Care Consultant at Gentiva Hospice, is changing perceptions of hospice care.

Imagine the soft hum of conversation filling the Tilden Community Center in Hastings, Minnesota, as vendors display their services and visitors engage in informative conversations. On May 17th, 2023, the first annual Hastings Senior Expo took place, a gathering aimed at addressing the diverse needs of senior citizens in the community. It was here that I had the privilege of meeting Laura Warhol, a Senior Hospice Care Consultant with Gentiva Hospice​​.

Gentiva Hospice, a Fortune 1000 company based in Atlanta, Georgia, is a significant provider of home health care, hospice, and related services across the United States. The company was born from the healthcare assets of Olsten Corporation, which grew to become the largest provider of home healthcare services by the late 90s. Today, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kindred Healthcare, Gentiva provides care to over half a million patients annually through more than 420 U.S. locations in 40 states​.

Laura, who represents Gentiva Hospice at the expo, exudes a calm and compassionate demeanor that seems fitting for her role. As a Senior Hospice Care Consultant, her mission is to educate people about the Medicare hospice benefit, a service often overlooked until it's too late. She passionately advocates for early hospice care admission, to ensure individuals receive the support they need to live their best quality of days, in the comfort of their home.

Gentiva's hospice care services, covered 100% by Medicare, include nursing care, social work, chaplain services, and volunteer support. Their comprehensive approach includes coordination of medical equipment and medications, providing a supportive environment for individuals and their families during end-of-life stages.

The importance of educating individuals about these benefits is what brought Laura and Gentiva Hospice to the Hastings Senior Expo. She believes it is essential to dispel the notion that hospice care is only for those actively dying. Laura argues that hospice care should be viewed as a supportive service, an ally in navigating the inevitable decline that comes with age, rather than a grim harbinger of death.

Laura passionately implores the community to support Gentiva Hospice by fostering open conversations about hospice care. The more the community can engage in discussions about death and decline, the less scary these topics become. By continuing to seek education, the community can help to ensure that more people access the hospice care services they need, when they need them.

Laura's parting message to the Hastings community is a poignant one: "Don't wait till it's too late." She encourages families to reach out if they notice a loved one showing a decline in their health, experiencing frequent falls, changes in their health condition, recent hospitalizations, or weight loss. Gentiva Hospice is here to help, and the best thing you can do for your loved one (and yourself) is to get the services in place as soon as possible.

In a world where we often shy away from conversations about death and decline, Laura Warhol and Gentiva Hospice stand as a beacon of compassion, support, and understanding. Their presence at the Hastings Senior Expo serves as a testament to their commitment to the community, to educate, to care, and to provide comfort during life's final journey.