Music Therapy
The Sifrit family has always been a music loving family. When Ken was diagnosed with Alzheimers/dementia, wife Shirley, saw her once fun loving husband slowly decline as the disease continued to progress. The happy, singing version of Ken was a distant memory for Shirley until Andrea Owens came into their lives.
Graduating from Western Illinois University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in music, Andrea also completed a 6 month clinical internship and board certification to become a board certified music therapist. Music therapy by definition is the clinical, research and evidence based use of music to achieve non-musical goals. Andrea uses her extensive knowledge in music therapy to provide therapeutics services to the patients and families in hospice care. Starting the program from the ground up, Andrea now serves over 50 patients per month, including Ken Sifrit.
“Music uses the entire brain which is why it is different from anything else,” Andrea explained, “This makes it especially useful in patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia because they are able to remember songs when they may not be able to remember anything else.”
“It is truly remarkable what Andrea is able to do with Ken,” Shirley explained through teary eyes. “We never really see him smile anymore and he doesn’t really speak. When Andrea is here, we see something in him that we never get the pleasure of seeing anymore. He picks his head up, he looks at her, and he sings all the words to the country western songs she plays. It’s a happy time for all of us and we wouldn’t have that without her.”
Jillian Snyder and Vinny
Tails of Joy is a program used to provide psychological, emotional, and physiological support to hospice patients and their families. UpliftedCare recognizes the benefits of integrating traditional medicine with complementary medicine as a supportive service. We currently have 12 teams of specially trained dogs and their handlers available for visits. Each dog and handler has gone through a therapy dog certification program to make sure they are up for the job. One of those very special teams are Jillian and her black Shih tzu/yorkie mix Vinny.
For Jillian, she feels there is one family that stands out from the rest that she’s volunteered with during her time at UpliftedCare and that is the Guimond family from Kankakee Mrs. Guimond is a patient in UpliftedCare and she lives at home with her husband Richard.
Upon their initial visit, Richard explained about a black poodle that they had named Mia. Mia originally started out as their son’s dog and when he enlisted in the military, Mia came to live with them. She quickly became a huge part of their family, even traveling with the couple across the country in their RV. The Guimond’s had seven wonderful years with Mia before she became ill and had to be put down. The loss devastated the couple and they decided then to not replace their cherished pet. When the offer was suggested to introduce a pet companion, they jumped at the chance.
“When I arrived the first day, Richard met me at the door, took Vinny out of my arms and left me standing on the porch,” Jillian remarked with a laugh, “I could tell immediately who the favorite was.”
While the relationship between Vinny and Mrs. Guimond didn’t immediately blossom, caretaker Richard, definitely always looked forward to his visit. “He just comes up on my lap and I rub him to sleep,” he explained. “He’s such a good boy.”
When asked what the most rewarding part of her volunteer position at UpliftedCare Jillian explained, “I just love being able to bring these families so much joy. They are going through a very rough time in their lives and there is never a time when I walk through the door that Vinny doesn’t put a smile on their faces. Whether it’s a patient or family member, they all love him and those smiles are the best part.”
MASSAGE THERAPY
The Fajman family cannot say enough about the care that their mother, Alice received while on service with UpliftedCare. They were very pleased with her care as a whole and especially thankful for the care she received from Licensed Massage Therapist, Jennifer Marcotte.
Earning her License in Massage Therapy in 2007 from the American Bodywork Institute in Bradley, Jen also has continuing education credits in lymphedema, fibromyalgia, sciatica and acupressure. Starting at UpliftedCare in 2015, Jen would typically see 2-3 patients per week. Since then, she has grown her caseload significantly, providing over 90 therapeutic massage treatments per month.
“There was something about the touch that really helped mom relax,” explained Tranita Fajman, “We all looked forward to Jen’s visit because we knew mom really enjoyed it… and all of us really enjoyed her being there.”
Jen combines many different methods of touch to achieve the best possible outcome for the patients. “I’m a firm believer in the therapeutic effects of touch and I see it work every day in my patients,” she explained.
While massage is her profession, hospice care is her passion. “This is definitely where I wanted this career path to take me,” she explained, “I love being able to help ease my patients pain whether it be physical or emotional, but the best part is definitely being able to talk to them and hear their stories.”
Comfort
“Comfort to us encompasses many roads. We find that UpliftedCare serves as a comfort to residents, families, friends and our own staff. We find peace and comfort in knowing that we can share our own feelings, accomplishments and fears with hospice and they know the right things to say and do to help us help while caring for the resident.”
– Bryan Harris – Heritage Health in Dwight
Discover how UpliftedCare is Redefining Hospice Care and find your way back to living life more fully. We can help determine what services are best for you and your loved one and answer any questions about how to begin receiving uplifting support.
Call 815.939.4141
More Time, More Memories: Our Care Helps Families Stay Together Longer.
Each year, over 100 of our patients benefit from early hospice care, extending their time with family and loved ones by six months or more.
Hospice Care
When that time comes, hospice is there every step of the way with the patient and family as they focus on comfort at the end of life.
Palliative Care
Palliative care is a chance for people dealing with life-limiting illness to have relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of dealing with the illness and to have an extra layer of support.
Care Where You Are
Most patients receive hospice care in a private home. Yet did you know that UpliftedCare also provides care to those living in a nursing home, hospital or assisted living?
Complementary Therapies
Support services such as massage, respiratory therapy, music, and pet therapy can play a significant role in enhancing quality of life for those who are ill. From easing discomfort to evoking fond memories, these therapies can heal the body and lift the spirit.