Hospice of Southern Illinois

Premiere Local Hospice Provider

National Hospice Month: Raising Awareness of the Benefits of Hospice Care

Hospice of Southern Illinois Celebrates November as National Hospice Month

“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.

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.

“Living with Hospice”
We want to 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.

“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.”

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Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Tamsulosin and Fall Risks 

Pharmacist listening to patient explaining his symptoms for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
Many male patients in hospice have a diagnosis of BPH and, therefore, the benefit of symptom management must outweigh the risks of fall and injury before tamsulosin is continued in a patient.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most commonly diagnosed diseases in men. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) tends to develop in men over the age of 40 and affects up to 60% of men over the age of 90. Over time, the prostate tends to become enlarged mostly due to the increased level of androgens in aging males. This can be caused by comorbidities such as metabolic syndromes, obesity, alcohol consumption, and lack of exercise. Men who experience BPH can have increased urinary frequency, increased urinary urgency, incomplete voiding, and dribbling. Likewise, symptoms of BPH can bring levels of discomfort, especially in the elderly. Tamsulosin is the preferred treatment of BPH and exerts its mechanism by binding to alpha-1a receptors in the prostate, bladder neck, and prostatic urethra. By binding to these receptors, tamsulosin allows smooth muscle relaxation ultimately leading to the decrease in BPH symptoms. 

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Is Insulin Appropriate for Hospice Patients?

Understanding Diabetes and Insulin

Worldwide, type II diabetes mellitus accounts for almost 10% of the population and was associated with almost 2 million deaths in 2016. Typically, diabetes affects those with a family history but can also arise idiopathically (without known cause). What this means for patients is frequent doctor’s appointments, diet modifications, and diabetic medications (potentially insulin). Normally, our pancreas secretes insulin whenever we eat in order to shift glucose from our blood to our cells. In patients with type II diabetes, the insulin in which the pancreas secretes fails to transfer glucose into the cells. As a result, blood glucose elevates. In order to lower blood glucose in patients with diabetes, extra insulin is needed to move insulin into the cells. Therefore, insulin is a common therapy for patients with diabetes. Diabetes management is crucial to prevent complications caused by the disease such as painful neuropathies, ocular toxicities, and renal toxicity.

Hospice patient getting a blood glucose reading from a nurse

“A big challenge when deprescribing medications in patients admitted to hospice is convincing the patient to discontinue insulin, especially, if they have been taking it for numerous years. A common fear is that their blood glucose will rise uncontrollably.”

Continue Reading, Click Here: Insulin for Hospice Patients

Ribbon Cutting & Open House

We are excited to celebrate a milestone, the move to our New Belleville Clinical Office location, 333 South Illinois Street, Belleville, in July. To commemorate the move, Hospice of Southern Illinois is hosting a Ribbon Cutting & Open House. Join us on Wednesday, November 6, 2019, from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Enjoy a Ribbon Cutting at 4:00 p.m. followed by an Open House with light refreshments and office tours until 6:00 p.m. This event is open to the public, chamber members, and Hospice of Southern Illinois’ current employees, volunteers, and retirees. 

New Belleville Clinical Office Location

Ribbon Cutting and Open House Invitation for November 6, 2019, from 4-6 p.m.

The new Belleville Clinical Office location will bring our patient services and administrative teams closer together. The space offers 8,000 square feet of warmth, professionalism, and class. You’ll see a featured acrylic logo wall decal on a burgundy wall to highlight our brand and rich history when you enter the newly renovated building. With more collaborative spaces, family consultation and support areas, advanced technology, and modern team offices, we are proud to showcase our new Belleville Clinical Office Location to the residents of the Metro-East. 

Why the move?

Since our founding in 1981, we continue the tradition of focusing on quality of life at the end of life. We ask, “what is important today.” As a result, we’ve proudly been serving the metro-east for years, with our grass-roots, volunteer movement all starting right here in Belleville, Illinois. Further, we look forward to continuing to grow together as a team and community resource, which includes 27 counties in Southern Illinois.

Commitment to Core Values

New Patient Services Location in Belleville
New Location – Patient Services Building
333 South Illinois Street, Belleville

We are committed to integrity, excellence, respect, dignity, and diversity in our future. Hospice of Southern Illinois will continue to engage in community collaborations in order to adapt to the end-of-life and palliative care needs of those we serve while respecting a longstanding hospice philosophy. This includes our own mission, to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their loved ones touched by a terminal illness.

We want to be your choice hospice provider. So, ask for us by name, Hospice of Southern Illinois. Thank you for your support and for trusting your care to us. We are here when you need us. There comes a time… to ask how hospice can help. 

You’re Invited To Our Ribbon Cutting & Open House

Wednesday, November 6, 2019, from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

New Belleville Clinical Office Location | 333 South Illinois Street, Belleville

Hospice of Southern Illinois’ Retirees Are Encouraged to Attend This Milestone Event Open To The Public | Chamber Members Welcome

Resources and Hospice Happenings: Explore Our Recent Posts

The Good Death

Over the past century, the viewpoints of death have had a definite shift within society. This can be attributed to the shift in medical care from family settings to a more institutionalized setting. As a result, what used to be considered a natural part of life is now viewed as a failure in medical technology. Today, we tend to think as a society that the ideal death would be in our sleep without suffering. In contrast, the medieval era believed that death should be by noble cause, and it’s said that people of that time actually prayed to not die in their sleep. Understandably, the various viewpoints of “the good death” can make providing comfort for hospice patients a challenge.

bird flying away peacefully into the light representing a peaceful end of life journey

In addition to the various cultural differences in the perception of a good death, there also tends to be a difference among healthcare professionals, families, and patients.

Continue Reading, Click Here: Other Influences & Considerations

End of Life Care Agents for Parkinson’s

By: Matthew Clark, PharmD, PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident in Pain and Palliative Care, Hospice of Southern Illinois   October is American Pharmacists Month and we present to you a series of end-of-life topics throughout the month by our very own, Matthew Clark, PharmD, PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident in Pain and Palliative Care! Our series will help expand your understanding of the field and debunk some myths in the field of pharmacy. Topic 2 : Best Agents for Psychosis Related to Parkinson’s 
Arthritis hand and knee pain or mental health care concept with geriatric doctor consulting examining elderly senior aged adult in medical exam clinic or hospital
Parkinsonism is a disease that is prevalent across the elderly population. In fact, Parkinson’s affects 1% of patients above the age of 60 in the United States. The disease is due to an insufficiency of dopamine and dopamine receptors in the area of the brain called substantia nigra. The loss of dopamine leads to common symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease such as: bradykinesia, shaking, tremors, and rigidity. In addition to Parkinsonism, patients can develop psychosis during the late stages of the disease. As healthcare professionals, it is important to choose the most appropriate agent to treat psychosis without exacerbating Parkinson’s symptoms. [Read more…]

What’s the difference between Palliative Care and Hospice?

By: Matthew Clark, PharmD, PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident in Pain and Palliative Care, Hospice of Southern Illinois

October is American Pharmacists Month and we present to you a series of end-of-life topics throughout the month by our very own, Matthew Clark, PharmD, PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident in Pain and Palliative Care! Our series will help expand your understanding of the field and debunk some myths in the field of pharmacy.

The goal of hospice care is to achieve the best quality of life for patients and families with a prognosis of 6 months or less.

A common misconception in healthcare that can cause great distress and confusion to patients is that palliative care means hospice. The two terms are often inadvertently used interchangeably. Despite both areas being oriented around symptom management, it is important to understand the differences. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines palliative care as the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. This approach aims to improve the quality of life of patients and their families through prevention of suffering by assessing and treating their symptoms.

Similarly, the goal of hospice care is to achieve the best quality of life for patients and their families. However, hospice is a service covered by Medicare Part A, Medicaid, or private health insurance. Patients who qualify for hospice have a terminal illness with a prognosis of 6 months or less. Terminal illnesses may include malignancies such as cancer, congestive heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A hospice team consists of a physician, registered nurse, social worker, hospice aide, pastoral counselor, volunteers, and pharmacist.

Understanding The Difference

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Announcing Pharmacy Residency Program’s 4th Year

Dr. Matthew Clark PGY2 Pharmacy Resident for Our 4th Year of Our Pharmacy Residency Program
PGY2 Pharmacy Resident

Hospice of Southern Illinois is announcing our 4th year with a PGY-2 (post-graduate, year 2) Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacy Residency Program. In collaboration with the SIUE School of Pharmacy, we remain the only accredited PGY-2 Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacy Residency Program fully funded by a hospice, in the United States. With that said, we are pleased to introduce and welcome the full-time, on-staff, PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident, Matthew Clark, PharmD. Our patients, families, and organization directly benefits from this very special program, which is 1 of 18 in the country and the only accredited one, fully funded by a hospice.

Dr. Clark is an integral member of our interdisciplinary team focusing on each individual’s goals of care in delivering the highest quality end-of-life care to the patients and families we serve. Matthew leads with our mission and core values of excellence, integrity, respect, diversity and dignity. The PGY-2 Program sets Hospice of Southern Illinois’ care apart from other hospice programs. Matthew shares our commitment to this program and standard of end-of-life care, “I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to learn from such a caring healthcare team at Hospice of Southern Illinois. Completing the residency at Hospice of Southern Illinois will allow me to grow as a competent palliative care pharmacist.”

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June is PTSD Awareness Month

June is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) awareness month. PTSD occurs after someone goes through a traumatic event. It is a stress response to disaster, overstimulation, assault, violence, or combat. While the information below applies to Veterans at the end-of-life, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can affect anyone. Additionally, each Veteran will have unique needs, so we must make sure that we do not make assumptions based on the title of “Veteran.” 

[Read more…]

4 Million Reasons to Celebrate

Hospice Nurse Infographic

The 2019 National Nurses Week theme is “4 Million Reasons to Celebrate” a nod to nurses’ sheer numbers and an open invitation to #ThankaNurse for enriching our lives and the world we live in. Hospice of Southern Illinois would like to extend a special thanks to our nurses as they continue to provide the highest level of quality care to our patients. Head over to social media, share a photo, and include the national hashtag, #ThankaNurse, and our local hashtag, #OurHeartBeatsBurgundy, to show your support (and 4 million reasons) for Hospice of Southern Illinois’ nurses and nurses everywhere for the compassionate work they do!

Do you know the role of a hospice nurse?

Did you know the role of a hospice nurse includes assessments, education, symptom management, medication management, personal care, support, and more. With a job more personal than most, they also ensure the respect and dignity of the people they care for, including the support circle, family and friends around them. The Burgundy Team of nurses, trained in end-of-life care, offer compassionate care and symptom management to alleviate the suffering associated with terminal illness. Additionally, Hospice of Southern Illinois has a dedicated Admission Team who provides assessments, immediate support and education to patients and families who are learning about hospice care or making choices about if end-of-life care is right for them.

Nurses offer many different types of care depending on the needs of the patient and family. The four levels of care include: Routine Home Care, Continuous Care, Respite Care, and General Inpatient Care.

Four Levels of Care for Patients

  • Routine Home Care: Ongoing end-of-life care
  • Continuous Care: Short-term crisis care
  • Respite Care: Short-term caregiver relief
  • General Inpatient Care: Temporary intensive care that cannot feasibly be provided in a non-hospital setting.
Hospice Nurse ready to leave

Anyone can make a referral to Hospice of Southern Illinois. Calling for hospice care sooner can provide assistance with getting pain and symptoms under control quickly, caregiver relief, durable medical equipment and supplies, medication management, free resources, additional support, and family planning. Nurses at Hospice of Southern Illinois provide on-call support 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. It’s never too early to learn about how hospice can help, before crisis strikes. Call with no obligation today, 1-800-233-1708, or visit our website for free resources, www.hospice.org/community.

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