ASCEND Hospice and Palliative Care Symposium

Article by Corinn Ayers

Reclaiming Death: The Art and Science

On Thursday, April 30, healthcare professionals and caregivers will gather in Overland Park for the annual Ascend Hospice and Palliative Care Symposium. The event is designed to provide education, practical tools, and insight into hospice and palliative care, with a focus on holistic approaches that go beyond medications and clinical procedures. Those interested are encouraged to register – details and registration information is available on Ascend Hospice’s website and Facebook page.

The symposium is hosted by Ascend Hospice, a provider known for combining clinical expertise with compassionate, patient-centered care. The organization emphasizes a holistic model that includes traditional medical support alongside complementary therapies such as music, massage, and aromatherapy. These practices are integrated into care not as alternatives, but as additional ways to support patients’ comfort and dignity.

Amy Baldwin, RN CHPN, Clinical Quality Educator at Ascend Hospice, has been a nurse for 18 years, including 14 in hospice care. She started in memory and dementia care before moving into hospice and has been with Ascend for six years in an educator role.

“I shifted into hospice because I saw how caring and compassionate the nurses from hospice were who would come into long term care,” Baldwin said. “I have always been drawn to the patient who was actively dying. Even from when I was an aide before being a nurse, those patients fascinated me. They are the most vulnerable. Not children, but a patient at the end of their life. It deserves extra care, compassion, and attention.”

She said her previous experience in dementia care provided a foundation for understanding complex patient needs, and moving into education allowed her to share her knowledge more broadly.

“I loved the education role because so often people aren’t educated about the end of life,” she said. “It is extremely misrepresented in the healthcare industry, from school to community education, so I am passionate about it.”

The symposium is meant to combine education with demonstration. Attendees learn about hospice care and see how Ascend’s teams implement holistic approaches in practice. Baldwin explained that hospice care is about supporting the whole person.

“End of life care is more than medications and procedures, it’s the extra things that make care meaningful,” she said.

The symposium also offers continuing education units (CEUs) for nurses, social workers, and administrators, helping professionals meet licensing requirements while gaining practical skills. Baldwin noted that the event is interactive rather than purely lecture based. “We have fun giveaways, and it’s not just us getting up there and talking. We want it to be interactive,” she said.

A key feature of Ascend Hospice’s approach is integrating holistic therapies into traditional medical care. Baldwin said she was initially unsure about some of these practices. “Ascend scared me in the beginning because they talked about these forms of holistic therapy. I know how to be a nurse in traditional medicine, but I was scared of this part,” she said.

Over time, she came to appreciate how these therapies enhance patient care and quality of life. The symposium gives attendees an opportunity to see these practices in action. “It’s the extra things we provide to our patients that we feel elevates their hospice care,” Baldwin said.

One session that stands out from previous symposiums focused on dementia care. A social worker presented the virtual dementia program, which allows participants to experience how patients with dementia perceive the world. Baldwin said interactive learning like this makes complex topics easier to understand and more memorable.

“What makes the symposium the coolest is that we are able to present things in different ways,” she said. “I’ve been trained in dementia for 20 years. It can get boring but Ascend presents it in a way that is applicable to real life and creative.”

The symposium also helps clinicians develop skills that are rarely taught elsewhere. Many professionals are uncomfortable recognizing signs of the end of life or having conversations with patients and families. The event addresses those gaps, offering guidance on communication, medications, and supportive care.

Ascend will have presenters for several sessions this year. One, “Protecting Your Purpose,” focuses on strategies to prevent burnout and maintain passion in caregiving. Other topics include recognizing early signs a patient may be ready for hospice, supporting patients in the last 72 hours of life, and communicating effectively with families. “More Than Science Explains” explores experiences that fall outside clinical explanation, such as patients living long enough to see a loved one visit.

Baldwin emphasized that hospice care is often misunderstood as only the final days of life. “Hospice isn’t the last couple of weeks or days of life. It’s six months out, and we can help you during that period. We teach about goals of care because identifying them is so important and rare,” she said.

The symposium benefits clinicians whether or not they refer patients to hospice. Attendees leave with a better understanding of holistic approaches, alternative therapies, and strategies to support both patients and themselves.

“It’s more than referring patients to hospice, it’s knowing how to care for people and how to take care of yourself,” Baldwin said. The symposium is a chance to share knowledge, show practical approaches, and demonstrate the ways hospice care can improve patients’ quality of life.

The 2026 Ascend Hospice and Palliative Care Symposium promises to be an informative and engaging event. By combining practical education with hands-on and interactive learning, it reflects Ascend’s ongoing commitment to quality end-of-life care. Attendees can find details on Ascend Hospice’s website and Facebook page with registration now open.

For more information on Ascend Hospice & Palliative Care and their services please call 913-287-5678 or visit https://ascendhealth.com/hospice-care/