On Tuesday, Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care in Joliet dedicated its drive to former CEO Duane Krieger of Shorewood on what would have been his 88th birthday. Krieger died earlier this year.

The day was partly cloudy with occasional drizzles – until the moment the sign proclaiming Honorary Duane Krieger Drive was unveiled.

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Grant Project funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care will join a nationwide project and host a community game event at Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital Wallin Conference Center from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Monday, June 24 to engage communities in important conversations about medical decision making. The event, featuring the conversation game Hello, will provide information about how to prepare for future decisions about serious and critical health issues. Complimentary dinner and refreshments will be provided.

“This game will help you prepare for situations you may not have considered before,” Kathy Peterson, Senior Director of Marketing and Business Development. “It makes conversations like these much more fun and meaningful.”

The advance care planning topic can be difficult, but it is a necessary one to discuss. The community game day event will bring people together for an enjoyable discussion about living well and quality end-of-life care. Participants will receive information about medical decision-making and an advance directive that they may choose to complete. This event is a first step to advance care planning, and every participant will leave prepared to continue the conversation and take important steps to ensure their end-of-life care goals are known.

The Hello events are part of a large, NIH-funded research study led by Lauren Jodi Van Scoy, M.D. at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, through her research program, Project Talk. Hospice Foundation of America and the University of Kentucky are partners on the project. Participants who opt-in to participate can receive up to $90 in gift cards for their time.

Learning how best to engage communities in activities such as these is crucial to improving access to high quality of care later in life. Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care will help the Joliet community have conversations like these more often and more easily.

Register for the event online at lightways.org//project-talk-hello/ or email Kathy Peterson at [email protected] for more information.

Program has seen a 2400 percent census increase over last seven years

The ALS Association estimates the number of people living with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in the United States to be more than 30,000. This number fluctuates daily because every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with or dies from ALS. Ninety percent of cases occur with no family history, and the onset is usually between the ages of 40 and 70.

According to Lisa Heiy, director of Serious Illness Care at Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care, the number of patients with ALS the organization cared for increased 2400 percent from 2016 to 2023.

“Lightways has seen dramatic increases in both the serious illness and hospice care program for people with ALS,” Heiy said. “We are able to create personalized care programs for each patient and their families to help them navigate this disease today, and as needs change in the future.”

While there is no cure for ALS, Serious Illness Care at Lightways, also known as palliative care, can help improve the quality of life and manage symptoms for the patient, as well as educate families about the different stages of the disease. ALS is a degenerative disease that challenges an individual’s ability to control his/her body. Routine tasks such as bathing, eating, and dressing become difficult and as the disease progresses, so does speaking, eating, and breathing which can cause immense physical discomfort and emotional pain.

“Our Serious Illness Care team is specially trained to assist ALS patients and their families,” said Heiy. “Our team helps enhance communication with a family’s doctors about goals and future advanced care plans, including mechanical ventilation, artificial feeding, and hydration. At every stage, our Serious Illness Care program clears the way for a patient and his/her loved ones, together, to enjoy the best possible quality of life.”

Heiy also said the Serious Illness Care program helps families make the transition to hospice care when they feel ongoing treatment is no longer helping.

“It is all about the continuity of care,” she said. “This can be a scary and emotional time for a patient and his/her family. The prognosis can change daily. Our Serious Illness Care team is here to help provide reassurance about the quality of care to families and ensure the patient is as comfortable as possible.”

In addition, Heiy said the Serious Illness Care team will work in partnership with a patient’s neurologist and multidisciplinary team to manage symptoms and assist with the coordination of care.

“This team specializes in managing the symptoms and stress of serious illness and is also well-versed in navigating the complex health care system. We provide an extra layer of support and ensure whatever can be well-controlled, will be well-controlled.”

For more information about care for ALS patients at Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care, visit the website: lightways.org/als-care/ or call 815.740.4104.

All Vietnam Veterans are invited to attend a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans celebration Wednesday, April 3 at the Wesley Center at United Methodist Church, 118 W. Jackson Street in Morris. The celebration will be organized by Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care’s We Honor Veterans program.

The celebration will include a buffet lunch for a Vietnam veteran and one guest, a service recognition pinning, a free gift and a musical performance from Lightways’ music therapists. Attendees can also learn about Lightways and Serious Illness Care’s services for veterans.

Registration for this event is required by March 30. The event is free for veterans with one guest. For more information, contact Laureen at 815-740-4104, ext. 257.

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Wide variety of meetings, workshops, and counseling services help individual grief process.

Just as everyone experiences grief in a unique way, Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care has worked to create a variety of free grief support services to help anyone in the community who has experienced the death of a loved one.

“Although most of our clients meet individually with a grief counselor, we also make sure to have group meetings, workshops, and events for those who don’t feel the need for individual grief counseling” said Patrice Martin, director of Grief Support. “A support group meeting works well for someone who is interested in meeting others who are grieving. Many people who attend realize they are not alone in their experience, and this helps them to become aware that what they are feeling is quite common. Group meetings are designed to allow people to participate as much as they want and are offered both online and in person.”

Martin said that in addition to a general loss support group, there are support groups for people who have experienced similar losses, including the loss of a spouse/partner, the loss of a child, and those who are parenting while grieving. She said the creation of the Grieving the Loss of a Child support group was created during the COVID pandemic, meeting online, and includes participants from all over the Chicagoland area. This group remains available online and now also meets in person at their Joliet office.

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