The mosquito-transmitted Zika virus has influenced travel plans and led to worldwide recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization that include guidelines for people who are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant. Rajesh…
Each day spent caring for people who are living their last moments or taking their last breaths might seem like a difficult job. But for Memorial Home Hospice caregivers, the rewards are countless. When the end of life is near,…
Your spouse just had surgery and no longer needs their pain meds. You don’t want extra pills in the cabinet, so you toss them in the trash. Later, your curious three-year-old spots them as he goes to throw away his…
When kids are young, it can be less complicated to plan for and enjoy family meals. As they grow into teenagers, it can be easy to let family meals fall by the wayside. However, meals together generally mean better quality…
“Mindfulness.” We hear the word often, but what does it mean? And more importantly, what can it do for your mind and body to help you manage stress and anxiety? Mindfulness is a practice in which you focus on the…
Memorial’s Sharing Wishes Fund is celebrating five years and nearly 200 wishes granted. The Fund provides wishes for hospice patients across central Illinois. See some of the many wishes featured in this video provided by Mary Bretscher, MD, associate medical…
Back in March of 2014, we featured Harold Whitnall’s story. Harold’s lung had collapsed five times in the past 40 years, beginning when he was 25 years old. Diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Harold suffered on a daily…
Jacksonville’s Beard family understands they have a choice when it comes to healthcare. Over and over again, they choose Passavant Area Hospital—seven times for orthopedic care alone in the past several years. Erica Beard is an old soul when it…
Leroy Jordan is a man who appreciates structure. He rises at 6 a.m. each morning and almost always eats the same cereal for breakfast. After taking medication to manage his diabetes, he settles into his recliner to read the morning…
Chances are this time last year, you or someone you know had already come down with the dreaded flu symptoms. The tired, achy, feel-like-you’ve-just-been-hit-by-a-train kind of feeling. This year, that’s probably not the case. While the standard cold viruses continue…