Hospice of Southern Illinois

Premiere Local Hospice Provider

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. Our author is 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

[Read more…]

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.”

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

Volunteers Give Over 10,000 Hours

“At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished… it’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back. “

– Denzel Washington

Volunteers Give Over 10,000 Hours

Volunteers Give over 10,000 Hours – Annually in April, Hospice of Southern Illinois recognizes a special group of over 300 volunteers who donate countless hours to support our mission, to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their loved ones touched by a terminal illness. In 2018, the volunteer teams logged 10,873 hours. Denzel Washington said it best, “At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished… it’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.” Another outstanding achievement we are proud to share is that 8% of volunteer hours were related to direct patient care. Medicare requires that 5% of volunteer hours are patient care and the volunteers surpassed this regulation. Thank you to the volunteers who, collectively, worked to give over 10,000 hours and contribute to that milestone. We appreciate those who go above and beyond, with compassion, lifting up patients, their families, and Hospice of Southern Illinois’ employees.

We take this opportunity to thank the entire volunteer team, name our 100 Hour Club Volunteers, and highlight six very special volunteers who receive the prestigious, Butterfly Award. The Butterfly Award recipients’ roles and talents are as varied as the needs of patients, families and staff. Here is a peek into how they donated their time and talents. 

Butterfly Award Recipients

[Read more…]

Hospice is Dignity

Dignity • noun

dig·​ni·​ty | \ ˈdig-nə-tē  \

plural dignities

Definition of dignity

2: the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed

army veteran with caregiver

We define dignity because it’s the one noun that relates to quality of life at the end of life, a core value of hospice care at Hospice of Southern Illinois. How do people with a life-limiting illness find quality of life at the end of life? Finding it is different for each person. As individuals with life-limiting illnesses disease progresses, Hospice of Southern Illinois can be called in to support the patient and their family.  

We know it’s not an easy call to make. Our care team works together with the patient and their family on what matters most to them at the end of life. While Hospice of Southern Illinois offers many services, layers of support, and compassionate care providers, our core values: integrity, excellence, respect, dignity, and diversity, remain the same. Quality of life is at the center of everything we do for our patients and their families. Mr. David Ward’s story is an example of care that focuses on the quality of life.  

Mr. Ward was in the hospital, his kidneys failing, and physically ill. His disease was end-stage. The doctor recommended hospice. Our admission nurse arrived to provide education and support. Mr. Ward and his daughter, his healthcare power of attorney, decided they needed to refocus his goals of care. Quality of life was now his primary focus.

[Read more…]

National Pet Day Social Media Contest

National Pet Day is April 11th and we want to see your pets! Focusing on bringing peace and comfort to our patients, we offer a pet therapy program as an extension of our mission and a complimentary service. Post a photo or video, with a caption and our hashtag #ourheartbeatsburgundy, of your ‘paw’some pets who bring you peace and comfort every day for a chance to win an iPad Mini!

To submit your entry, post a photo or video of your pet on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with our hashtag #ourheartbeatsburgundy. Your photo or video submission, during the submission period, with the hashtag, is acceptance of the contest rules and eligible for a chance to win. Contest entries are accepted April 11, 2019 through April 30, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. One contestant will win the prize based on random selection by a 3rd party, Woobox Contest Platform.

CHAMP Assistance Dogs' Volunteer Team with Hospice of Southern Illinois' Volunteer and patient.
CHAMP Assistance Dogs’ Volunteer Team with Hospice of Southern Illinois’ Volunteer and patient.
[Read more…]

3 Benefits of a Medical Director and Pharmacist

3 Benefits of a Medical Director and Pharmacist

All hospices are required by the government to have oversight from a Medical Director, or physician who reviews the needs of patients, but one thing that sets Hospice of Southern Illinois apart is our full-time, on-staff Medical Director. The Medical Director works with a team of Associate Medical Directors and the hospice interdisciplinary team to manage symptoms related to the patient’s diagnosis. Additionally, we have a full-time, on-staff Pharmacist. Our distinguished Pharmacy Residency Program is 1 of 18 in the United States and the only one American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Accredited and fully funded by a hospice. Let’s dive into the three most important benefits of these two positions.

Dr. Ellen Middendorf
[Read more…]

Company Links

Service Area Resources

Hospice Resources

Contact Us

Administrative Services

618-235-1703
Send Email

Belleville Location

618-222-5905
Send Email

Marion Location

618-997-3030
Send Email