Kokua Mau covers end-of-life issues

Islanders seeking end-of-life information can contact Kokua Mau (Continuous Care), a statewide coalition of more than 250 public agencies, citizens and health care professionals and organizations.

The private, nonprofit organization was founded in 1999 to improve end-of-life care in Hawaii with education, advocacy, public policy and resources.

It just completed a two-year Palliative Care Capacity Building Project, training doctors, nurses and health care professionals in end-of-life care and advance-care planning.

Thirty nurses received board certification in hospice and palliative care.

Six hospital teams were trained to start a palliative care program. Three developed formal programs, and two or three more are in progress.

Kokua Mau has a speakers bureau and can provide information on advance-care planning, palliative care, hospice, pain management, grief and bereavement, and organizational and educational resources.

Call 585-9977 or 800-474-2113, or visit the Web site www.kokuamau.org. Advance directive forms can be downloaded.

Information and free forms also are available on the National Hospice Web site, www.caringinfo.org.