Barrington is Home to Newest Hospice and Palliative Care Center

Hospice care, the concept of providing for the needs and comfort of terminally ill patients, is a fairly new concept in America, having first been introduced in 1974 with the opening of The Connecticut House. 

Currently there are 5,283 hospice programs operating in the United States and one of the newest is located in Barrington.

Hospice and Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois (or HPNI), which is located at the Pepper Family Hospice Home and Center for Care at 405 Lake Zurich Road, opened this past summer and serves as a model for the specialty.  The facility takes a sensitive and considerate look at the needs of terminally ill patients and strives to meet them on a physical, psychological, and spiritual level.

"It's almost like having a home," said Ann Todd, Director of Communication, and Public Relations.  "It's really what hospice is."

Located in a quiet, wooded area adjoining a large park, the center strives to create home-like settings, with an eye toward returning a feeling of normalcy to patients and their families.  The private rooms are functional yet tastefully and serenely decorated with conversation areas and pull out beds.  Beds can be rolled from the room into a circular courtyard to enjoy the out of doors.

Although HPNI has live-in facilities, hospice care can take place anywhere.  "Hospice is more of a broad concept, it's a philosophy.  Hospice can be delivered anywhere," Todd continued.  "It can be delivered in our in-patient, delivered in the hospital, delivered in the patients home, delivered at a nursing home, wherever the patient is; we go if it's in our service area."

The staff is a comprehensive combination of professionals who are customized to meet the needs of patients and families on their unique journey.  Each client is evaluated and assigned a team, which might include: a nurse case manager, a certified nursing assistant, a chaplain, social worker, and/or trained volunteers.

Other licensed professionals can supplement the more traditional staff in providing care.  Some of the available treatments include, massage therapy acupuncture, aromatherapy, art and music therapy, pet therapy and Reiki, all of which can be helpful in a hospice situation, according to Dr. Paola Molina MD.  "With some of my patients, I use medical hypnosis because our mind is really strong.  So if we can avoid medications why not try it or use a combination?"

Palliative Medicine is also practiced at HPNI.  Often connected with Hospice services, Palliative care began to emerge at the same period of time.  Although the two services have features in common, Palliative care is not exclusively for terminal patients, but for those with painful symptoms due to chronic or fatal diseases and conditions.  The practice doesn't seek to halt or contain illness so much as provide relief from symptoms.

The staff of HPNI is utilized in much the same way as Hospice care, providing psychological, spiritual and physical for patients who live with pain or discomfort.  "Let the doctor manage the disease, come to us to manage the symptoms and we'll work hand-in-hand with the physician," said Todd.

Molina believes that round of the clock staff availability is a source of comfort for both Hospice and Palliative Care patients.   "There are no silly questions.  Every single question has a reason to be.  A human will answer the phone and direct you according to what your need is, or call a nurse to see you."

"Dying is part of life," Molina said.  "And what we do here is not about dying it's about making your life the best possible.  It doesn't matter if you have one day or 100 days or a year; we're talking about quality."

For more information call: 847-381-5599 or visit www.hospiceanswers.org