The Residential Difference
Care and comfort at home
The treatment you deserve
Residential offers patients the guidance and expertise of a Journey Counselor. Our Journey Program was designed to give patients information and resources to help them make decisions about their care. We believe it is a patient’s choice to decide on their care path and that it’s better to start the conversation early.
Our Journey Counselors facilitate those conversations, answer your questions, and ensure you know all your options to make the best decisions for your future.
Some patients receiving palliative care may also benefit from visits from a palliative-certified nurse practitioner,* who can consult on symptom management and provide advanced medication management (beyond conventional treatment) in the home.
*Deductibles and copays may apply for Palliative NP visits.
Each of us should have the power to choose the path we want to take.
The only certainty we can offer each other is the chance to fulfill a loved one’s wishes and to give them the end of life journey they desire.
We know that navigating your health care options can sometimes be overwhelming. This is why Residential has Journey Counselors available to serve as care advocates, providing information and support for your specific health needs. Even if you are not facing a life-limiting illness, it is never too early to learn about all of your healthcare options and guide your own path.
Journey Counselors serve Residential patients who have:
- Chronic, advanced, and/or terminal illness
- An interest in learning more about advanced illness and end-of-life care options
Journey Counselors are available even if you are continuing to seek aggressive treatment.
“Journey Counselors are educators, patient advocates, and customer service providers all in one. Our meetings are not only educational, but can also prevent rehospitalizations by assisting the patient to have the right level of care at the right time. Patients and their families mention how much the information provided helps them have a better understanding of which paths to take with their care at home.”
~ Meghan Ealy, Journey Counselor
Conversation Starters
Residential’s Journey Counselors are experts at guiding difficult conversations. With information, empathy, and time, they help patients and loved ones discover the path that is comfortable and correct for them.
Do you understand your current illness and how it may progress over time?
Do you feel you are involved in the management of your illness?
Do you want your physicians to determine what the right course of action is for you?
Have you spoken to anyone in your family about what you would want to happen if you were suddenly unable to make your own health decisions?
If you were not able to have a say in your healthcare, who would you like to make these important decisions for you?
Is your family aware of your organ donation wishes?
Have you made any funeral arrangements – and do your loved ones know what they are?
What matters most to you at this time in your life?
Express your five wishes and develop a plan for your loved ones to follow.
Residential’s palliative-trained staff includes experts in advance care planning (legally binding communication of your personal health care decisions). We are proud to use the simple Five Wishes booklet, which was created with the help of the American Bar Association to be an inexpensive alternative to completing a living will document with a lawyer. When completed and signed, Five Wishes meets the legal requirements for an advance directive in 42 U.S. states, including Illinois and Michigan.
