Transitions strives to bring hope, not fear to hospice

HUNTLEY – An elderly man with a breathing tube riding a skateboard is not the image most have in mind when they think of hospice.

Leslie Horwitz was fully aware of this picture’s irony when she chose it for Transitions Hospice’s postcard. As vice president of the Huntley-based hospice group, she is working to change the connotation of hospice from scary to hopeful.

“Hospice is a difficult subject, and people think ‘I’m going on hospice, I have a death sentence,’ or ‘This is bad,'” Horwitz said. “Not necessarily, it doesn’t necessarily mean that.”

Transitions seeks to change that definition by following two mantras: letting patients “age in place” and “meeting a family where they are at” in times of crisis.

Hospice care comes in when a patient and their family decide against continued heavy treatment. Transitions does not want to see any patient have to leave their home.

“I think the change is extremely detrimental; this is the last part of someone’s journey, and nobody wants to have to leave where they’re at,” she said.

Transitions moved to Huntley from Rockford last spring. Their location is a nondescript building off Kreutzer Road, but Horwitz said Transitions has developed a strong base through word-of-mouth promotion.

Those referrals have spread across Northern Illinois, as Transitions is licensed in McHenry, Kane, Cook, DuPage, Will, Lake, and Boone Counties.

Horwitz said Transitions earns its reputation by the way it works with families. Transitions is Medicare-certified, but according to Horwitz, will go above and beyond the set standards.

“If [we] can sit down with the family and understand where they’re at and what’s important to them, we can then move forward together down the path instead of us trying to pull them or coax them or convince them,” she said.

A patient’s family is often the most complex party to work with, according to Horwitz. Values, religion, and family dynamics all must be taken into account, making the job about more than just moral support.

“We have found by educating people about hospice, that’s our biggest plus, versus having a bunch of cheerleaders and people running around,” she said. “If I can explain to you what it is and take the scary connotation out of hospice, then people all of a sudden [understand.]”

Advantage Medical Equipment is the supplier backbone for Transitions. Located in the same building, the medical supplier carries various equipment a hospice patient may need, including oxygen concentrators, wheelchairs, and hospital beds.

“It’s nice to have that peace of mind, especially if someone’s coming home from the hospital and you need a toilet or portable commode,” Susan Worline, community liaison, said.

Advantage delivers equipment free to Sun City and, according to operations manager Al Green, orders equipment based on the feedback it receives from customers.

For example, when customers did not appreciate the noise made by the oxygen concentrator they received from Advantage, the company began ordering the newer, quieter models. The feedback also helps Advantage contribute to medical equipment design.

“Everyone in the industry is trying to find devices that can do the same thing but be more cost effective,” Green said.

During a visit to the facility, Green showed a Broda chair, a rolling chair for patients who have low mobility. The chair comes in several sizes, but Advantage is in talks with manufacturers on making an adjustable, one-size-fits-all model.

By listening to patients and families and staying on pace with the medical equipment industry, Transitions Hospice and Advantage Medical Equipment have their eyes on a new standard of care.

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