Elara Caring is a Medicare-certified hospice based at 4200 Little Blue Parkway, Ste 530 in Independence, MO 64057. It has been certified since 2004. It cares for about 14 patients on an average day, making it a small hospice. It scores 9 out of 10 on Medicare's Hospice Care Index; the Missouri average is 9. The index flags 2 areas where it is worse than the Missouri average, starting with patients discharged alive within 7 days.
What is Elara Caring's Medicare record?
| Hospice | Elara Caring |
|---|---|
| Address | 4200 Little Blue Parkway, Ste 530, Independence, MO 64057 |
| Phone | (816) 444-4611 |
| Medicare provider number (CCN) | 261596 |
| Ownership | Other |
| Medicare-certified since | 01/07/2004 |
How does Elara Caring score on Medicare's Hospice Care Index?
Elara Caring scores 9 out of 10 on the Hospice Care Index, which counts how many of ten visit, discharge and staffing indicators a hospice meets. Against the Missouri average it is better on 3 of the indicators below and worse on 2.
| Indicator | Elara Caring | Missouri average | U.S. average | vs. Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaps in nursing visits longer than 7 days (lower is better) | 18.6% | 30% | 52.4% | Better |
| Patients discharged alive within 7 days (lower is better) | 11.1% | 7.9% | 7.3% | Worse |
| Patients discharged alive after 180 days or more (lower is better) | 37% | 37.8% | 37.4% | About the same |
| Live discharge followed by a hospital stay and readmission to hospice (lower is better) | 14.8% | 10.3% | 8.5% | Worse |
| Live discharge followed by death in hospital (lower is better) | 0% | 2.4% | 2.1% | About the same |
| Nurse minutes per routine home care day | 18.5 min | 15.6 min | 19.9 min | Better |
| Share of skilled nursing minutes given on weekends | 9.4% | 7.7% | 9.6% | About the same |
| Patients visited by a nurse in the last 3 days of life | 100% | 94.5% | 89.3% | Better |
Separately, 100% of its patients received all seven recommended care steps at admission (Missouri average 95.3%) and 80.5% were visited by a nurse or social worker on at least two of their last three days (Missouri average 61.2%).
What do families say about Elara Caring?
Medicare has not published family caregiver survey results for Elara Caring. Results appear only once a hospice has enough completed surveys over two years, so many smaller hospices have none.
Where does Elara Caring deliver care, and to whom?
63% of elara caring's care is delivered in assisted living and its largest patient group by diagnosis is heart and circulatory disease (31%). It has provided levels of care beyond routine home visits, such as continuous care at home or inpatient stays, in the last three years.
| Where care is delivered | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| In assisted living | 63% |
| At home | 18% |
| In a nursing facility | 17% |
| In a skilled nursing facility | 2% |
| Primary diagnosis | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| Heart and circulatory disease | 31% |
| Other conditions | 28% |
Which Kansas City-area ZIP codes does Elara Caring serve?
Elara Caring tells Medicare it serves 32 ZIP codes in Kansas City and the surrounding Missouri and Kansas counties.
- 64014
- 64015
- 64029
- 64030
- 64050
- 64052
- 64055
- 64057
- 64068
- 64079
- 64080
- 64081
- 64083
- 64114
- 64116
- 64118
- 64119
- 64123
- 64127
- 64130
- 64131
- 64132
- 64133
- 64137
- 64138
- 64145
- 64151
- 64152
- 64154
- 64155
- 64156
- 64742
What should you ask Elara Caring before choosing it?
Ask what happens in the first week
11.1% of its live discharges came within a week of enrollment (Missouri average 7.9%). Ask what the admission visit covers and how they confirm hospice is the right fit before enrolling.
Ask how a crisis at home is handled
14.8% of its live discharges were followed by a hospital stay and a return to hospice (Missouri average 10.3%). Ask who comes to the house in a symptom crisis and how fast.
Ask what the family is expected to do
Hospice supports the family caregiver; it does not replace one. Ask how many aide visits a week are typical and what happens overnight.
Ask how fast they can admit
Ask how soon after the call a nurse can come out, including evenings and weekends, and how quickly medications and equipment arrive.
Which other hospices serve Independence, MO?
- Brighton Hospice Missouri, LLC — Hospice Care Index 10 of 10
- Elevate Hospice — Hospice Care Index 9 of 10
- Hca Midwest Hospice & Family Care — Hospice Care Index 8 of 10
- Interim Healthcare of Kansas City — Hospice Care Index 7 of 10
- Good Shepherd Hospice of Mid-America, Inc. — Hospice Care Index 10 of 10
- Heartland Hospice (kansas City) — Hospice Care Index 10 of 10
All Medicare-certified hospices in Kansas City and the surrounding Missouri and Kansas counties
Last verified: November 2026, against the Medicare hospice data release dated 2026-08-07.
Common questions
Is Elara Caring Medicare-certified?
Yes. Elara Caring is certified by Medicare under provider number 261596 and has been since 2004.
What is Elara Caring's Hospice Care Index score?
9 out of 10 in the current Medicare data. The Missouri average is 9.
How large is Elara Caring?
It cares for about 14 patients on an average day.
