The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) LifeCircle South Dakota has launched new Hospice Service Area Maps, providing an easy way to identify hospice services available across the state and better understand where gaps in access remain.
Hospice provides specialized care for individuals living with a terminal illness who are expected to have six months or less to live if the illness follows its usual course. Medicare-certified hospice agencies provide interdisciplinary care that includes nursing, medical social services, counseling and physician services, along with multiple levels of care designed to support patients and their families.
Access to these important services, however, is not available everywhere. In South Dakota’s rural and frontier communities, some counties currently do not have access to hospice care.
The new LifeCircle resource provides two maps to help visualize hospice availability across South Dakota:
- Hospice Service Coverage by County
The first map provides a statewide view of hospice coverage based on reporting to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Counties shaded in light yellow have reported hospice service coverage, while unshaded counties currently do not have access to hospice services.
- Interactive Hospice Services Map
The second map allows users to explore hospice providers throughout South Dakota. Simply click on a location marker to learn more about an individual hospice and view the specific counties it serves.
Together, the maps identify Medicare-certified hospices, residential hospice facilities and three volunteer hospices serving South Dakota, providing a convenient resource for healthcare professionals, patients, families and communities.
Explore the New Hospice Service Area Maps
Visit the LifeCircle website to learn more about hospice resources.
