I’ll Hold Your Hand

Providing peace and support through hospice care A little more than six years ago, Sandy Downs sat down with her husband of 47 years, Perry, and gave it to him straight: She wanted him to be honest with her about her disease. Perry was surprised. “She never wanted to talk about her disease,” he says, […]
Palliative Care is for Anyone with a Serious Illness, No Matter the Long-Term Outlook

Mayo Clinic Q&A DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What’s the difference between palliative care and hospice care? ANSWER: People often confuse palliative care and hospice care, thinking they are the same thing. But they’re not. Palliative care focuses on improving quality of life for anyone who has a serious illness. Hospice care is a form of palliative […]
End-of-Life Care: The Conversation That Can’t Wait

By Heidi Lading Kiec Winston Churchill once said, “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” This quote, found in many leadership books, is applicable to a host of situations, but it’s especially relevant to individuals and their loved ones facing end-of-life […]
Not Quite the End of the Road
Palliative and hospice care are more about family-centered care that provides comfort and compassionBy Karen Schwartz When Tom Donausky’s mother Frances took a turn for the worse at Smith Crossing, a nursing home in Orland Park, where she was first admitted in November 2011, the professionals suggested hospice. But it wasn’t quite time for that. […]