Throughout the month of November, Hospice of Southern Illinois will be joining organizations across the nation hosting community activities in recognition of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month.
For more than 40 years, hospice has helped provide comfort and dignity to millions of people, allowing them to spend their final months at home, surrounded by their loved ones. Hospices ensure that pain management, therapies, and treatments all support a plan of care that is centered on the patient’s goals. This care also provides emotional support and advice to help family members become confident caregivers and adjust to the future with grief support for up to a year.
“It is essential that people understand that hospice and palliative care is not giving up, it is not the abandonment of care, and it is not reserved for the imminently dying,” said Edo Banach, president and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. “Hospice is a successful model of person-centered care that brings hope, dignity and compassion when they are most needed. This is one reason that the national My Hospice Campaign was launched in 2018.”
Every year, nearly 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries receive care from hospices in this country, reports NHPCO. Hospice is unique in that it offers an interdisciplinary team approach to treatment. Caring for the whole person allows the team to address each patient’s unique needs and challenges.
Ramone Mayo, RN, Patient Care Supervisor at Hospice of Southern Illinois, notes: “Hospice of Southern Illinois is about meeting people where they are. Meeting people where they are isn’t about a physical location. It’s about an emotional connection.” Hospice of Southern Illinois has been providing compassionate care to terminally ill patients and their families in their home or a home-like setting since 1981. Since that time, Hospice of Southern Illinois continues to put patients’ and families’ needs and wants first, preserving the hospice philosophy by asking, “What’s important today?”
Hospice of Southern Illinois has launched their own National Hospice Month campaign, “Living With Hospice.” This campaign will showcase the moments and memories that matter most between families, friends, and caregivers who are touched by a life-limiting illness throughout their final months and weeks. Hospice of Southern Illinois’ care team hopes to clarify a common misconception of hospice care, only helping people at the end-of-life in their final days.
Additional care, support, guidance, and education can be provided for months and weeks. Follow along, see the dignity, and share the legacy though your social media channels.
Not all hospice providers are the same. While most have a similar philosophy, each hospice is a different organization offering unique services. Hospice of Southern Illinois’ reputation is a direct result of our desire to do more than what is required or expected. This can be seen in the passion and commitment of employees and volunteers to provide excellent hospice care through all the services provided. Ask for us by name, Hospice of Southern Illinois, your care team in burgundy. For more information about hospice, palliative care, and advance care planning visit, www.hospice.org, or contact Christine Litteken, at 618-235-1703 or [email protected].
