Ingalls Hospice Offers Comfort, Care and Support
Hospice care brings healing, comfort and support to people facing a life-limiting illness – and to the family and friends who care for them
When Ilona Roberts’ 84-year-old mother Elaine Hackmon was nearing the end of her six-year battle with colorectal cancer last fall, Ilona and her family turned to the caring professionals of Ingalls Hospice.
“I had made a promise to my mom that I would never put her in a nursing home,” Ilona recalls. “I told her I would be there to take care of her.”
Ingalls Hospice care at home helped Ilona keep her promise.
“Words cannot begin to express the outstanding care my mother received from the staff of the hospice program,” Ilona added. “They were there for us every step of the way. They always made us feel comfortable calling them no matter how small our issues were.”
Hospice care kept Mrs. Hackmon comfortable during her final days. It also helped her family understand the stages of her journey and how to cope with her eventual passing.
“We’d never been through this before. But Ingalls Hospice helped us understand what was happening and that we weren’t alone in feeling the way we did,” she explained. “We will never forget the 24-hour, seven-day-a-week service.”
“Hospice care honors life’s final journey,” explains Susan Dolan, R.N., J.D., C.H.A., director of Ingalls Hospice and award-winning author of The End of Life Advisor. “It focuses on quality of life and helping people live out their remaining days to the fullest, while offering hope and support to their loved ones.”
The support is what Linda Bethke and her family appreciated most when Linda’s 69-year-old mother-in-law Christine was dying of lung cancer in the fall of 2008.
“They truly were my lifesavers,” Linda says of the hospice nurses, social workers and nurse aides that helped the Bethke’s in the remaining three months of Christine’s life. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, Ingalls Hospice assists patients and loved ones with their physical, emotional, social, spiritual and grief needs. Patients are cared for by a team that may include a nurse, hospice aide, social worker, music therapist, chaplain and volunteer. Ingalls Hospice also assists with medications, supplies and equipment related to the patient’s illness. Care is provided in the home, at a long-term care facility or in the Ingalls hospice inpatient unit. Hospice staff are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“Most people, if asked, would hope for a peaceful, pain-free death,” Dolan added. “At Ingalls Hospice, we help make that happen.”
For more information, call Ingalls Hospice at 708.331.1360.
Success Stories
Advanced Orthopedic Institute
Organ Repairman Back in Tune with Anterior Hip Surgery
State Wrestling Champ Grapples with Torn ACL and Triumphs!
Back Pain a Thing of the Past Following Disc Replacement
Ingalls Making an Impact on Concussion
South Holland Man Touts Convenience of Ingalls Same Day Surgery
Flossmoor Woman Walking Tall Again After Anterior Hip Replacement
Anterior Hip Surgery Helps Busy Olympia Fields Woman Stay Independent
No Distance Too Great to Travel for Anterior Hip Replacement
Titanium Ankle Implant Gets Gift Shop Manager Back on Her Feet
Deuce Partial Knee Offers High-performance Option for Active Patients
Revolutionary Technique Restores Damaged Knee Cartilage
New Custom-Fit Knee Implant Means Better, Longer-Lasting Wear
Shoulder Repair: When Conventional Isn't An Option
Partial Knee Offers Permanent Fix
'A Complete Turnabout' Spine Procedure Relieves Indiana Man's Neck Pain
Behavioral Health
Ingalls Behavioral Health Expands Adolescent Services
Chicago Man Celebrates One Year of Sobriety
Cancer Center
Unique Liver Tumor Treatment Provides Hope for South Side Native
'Accidental Find' of Melanoma Saves Park Forest Woman
Proper Nutrition is a Must for Cancer Patients
Ingalls Honored for Outstanding Cancer Achievement
Our Experts Take Cancer Care Personally
Dolton Man Faces Lung Cancer with a Positive Attitude
Ingalls Doctors Put the 'Deep Freeze' on Tumors and Save Patient's Kidneys
Ingalls Introduces Ambassadors for Cancer Research
Ingalls Enrolling Patients in National Pancreatic Cancer Study
Chicago Woman is 'Poster Child' for Successful Breast Cancer Treatment
Helping Cancer Survivors Triumph Over Stress and Depression
Dialysis
Dialysis Access Experts at Ingalls Create Lifeline for Alsip Man
Complementary Medicine
Botox an Unexpected Treatment for Migraine Sufferers
Heart and Vascular
Lansing Man Speaks Clearly Again Following Stroke Rehab
Quick Response Saves 38-Year-Old Man
Big 10 College Official Scores with Leg Vein Procedure
Ingalls Stroke Care Helps Indiana Man Regain Independence
Ingalls/Rotary Fair is a Lifesaver for Hazel Crest Village Clerk
South Holland Woman Treated for Rare Heart Tumor
Team Effort - Ingalls Doctors Work Together to Save Lynwood Woman's Life
Home Care and Hospice
Tele-Monitoring Helps Reduce CHF Hospitalizations
Palliative Care Comforts and Improves Quality of Life
Expert Wound Care Heals South Holland Man's Foot
Ingalls Hospice Offers Comfort, Care and Support
Interventional Radiology
Unique Liver Tumor Treatment Provides Hope for South Side Native
Big 10 College Official Scores with Leg Vein Procedure
Treating Uterine Fibroids Without Hysterectomy
Vein Treatment at Ingalls Takes the Ache Out of Frankfort Man's Legs
Minimally Invasive Aneurysm Repair Saves Life of Country Club Hills Man
Team Effort - Ingalls Doctors Work Together to Save Lynwood Woman's Life
New Therapy for Patients with Inoperable Liver Cancer
Irwin Retina Center
Irwin Retina Center: Landmark Macular Degenration Study Shows Two Drugs Equally Effective
National Study At Ingalls Compares Treatments for 'Wet' Macular Degeneration
Neurosciences
Lansing Man Speaks Clearly Again Following Stroke Rehab
Ingalls Stroke Care Helps Indiana Man Regain Independence
Disturbing the Peace Sleep Disorders Steal the Winks
Occupational Health
Occupational Therapy: Fine-Tuning Children's Motor Skills
Workplace wellness initiatives pay off
Outpatient Services
Ingalls Same Say Surgery: 25 Years of Exceptional Service
South Holland Man Touts Convenience of Ingalls Same Day Surgery
Rehabilitative Services
Lansing Man Speaks Clearly Again Following Stroke Rehab
Ingalls Stroke Care Helps Indiana Man Regain Independence
Munster Woman Achieves 'Medical Miracles'
Ingalls Physical Therapy Helps Oak Forest Man Overcome Dizzy Spells
Breathe Easier with Ingalls Asthma Education
It Matters Where You Go For Stroke Care
Ingalls Rehab 'Home Away from Home' for Orland Hills Man
Occupational Therapy: Fine-Tuning Children's Motor Skills
Rheumatology Treatment
Newer Treatments Encouraging for Patients woth Psoriatic Arthritis
Urinary Incontinence
From Therapy to Surgery: Incontinence Program Offers Range of Options
Wellness
Botox an Unexpected Treatment for Migraine Sufferers
Walking Can Lower Your Risk for Alzheimer's Disease
Womens Services
Treating Uterine Fibroids Without Hysterectomy
Simple Surgical Repair Fixes Bladder Prolapse for Midlothian Woman
Healthy Baby Network Invaluable for Expectant Women and Adolescents
Ingalls Designated as Breast Imaging Center of Excellence
A Full Range of Care Designed Just for Women
Minimally Invasive Alternative to Hysterectomy
Wound Care
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Helps Heal Foot Ulcer
