Gentiva Health Svc

Pros

• The hospice team spoke kindly and offered encouragement and uplifting support during a difficult time.
• A former nurse-turned-hospice-nurse now dedicates herself to uplifting patients and families every day.
• The hospice team - from front desk staff to chaplains, social workers, music therapists, massage therapists, CNAs, and RNs - delivers exceptional care.
• The entire team made the family feel at ease and provided comprehensive care for their loved one.
• The home hospice experience was wonderful, with nurses and CNAs being patient, thoughtful, and caring.
• Athena, the CNA, and Dana, the RN, treated the loved one like family and made a meaningful difference in her last days.
• Athena and Dana are regarded as great assets to Hospice of Kankakee.

Cons

• Hospice is not an easy decision for a loved one.
• People think hospice means the worst when first hearing about it.

Review

The decision to pursue hospice care for a beloved grandmother in the hospital was one of the hardest moments a family can face. Yet from the very first conversations, the hospice team spoke with kindness and offered warmth, encouragement, and quiet reassurance to the father and the entire family amid a time of immense uncertainty. Those early interactions left a lasting impression on one nurse who was not yet working in hospice. Watching the team treat fear with empathy and fearlessness with practical support changed this nurse's outlook forever, planting the seed of a calling that would eventually lead to a career in hospice care.

Fast forward more than a decade, and that same person is now a hospice nurse themselves, proudly serving patients and their families with daily purpose. Over two years with their current company, they've come to see hospice work as a true team sport, where every role matters and every person upholds a shared standard of care. The message is clear: front desk staff who answer the phones, chaplains, social workers, a music therapist, a massage therapist, respiratory therapists, CNAs, and nurses - all are part of a seamless cascade of support. Each member brings a unique skill and a consistent, heartfelt commitment to uplifting those facing the end of life, and the overall impression is one of exceptional care delivered with dignity and compassion.

The heart of the message is that choosing hospice is not easy. It is a decision born from love and a desire to offer the highest quality of comfort at the end of life. The writer's gratitude extends to the team that cared for their father in a hospital inpatient setting, describing the care and comfort as beyond words. The entire hospice team - beyond just the medical interventions - worked to ease the burden on the family, providing a sense of calm and reassurance during an intensely difficult period. It's a recurring theme: hospice professionals possess a special kind of patience and steadiness that helps families feel supported, seen, and less alone as they navigate the hardest days.

Another chapter in these experiences describes a shift in perspective that comes from firsthand involvement with hospice care at home. The writer's initial apprehension about hospice - how the word alone can carry fear - gave way to appreciation after watching a loved one receive care in the home for four months. The home hospice team was consistently wonderful - patient, thoughtful, and truly caring. A number of nurses and CNAs contributed to those months, but two individuals stood out for the author: Athena, the CNA, and Dana, the RN. Both treated the loved one as if she were part of their own family, with a level of love and attention that made a real difference in her final days. The two professionals' genuine passion for their work and their evident affection for the patient left a lasting impression and reinforced the belief that hospice care is deeply personal and profoundly meaningful.

Across these narratives, the threads that emerge are clear: compassionate presence matters as much as clinical expertise, and the impact of hospice care extends beyond the patient to the family and loved ones who walk with them through the process. The stories honor the teamwork spanning administrative staff, spiritual care providers, social workers, and clinical teams - including nurses, CNAs, and therapists - whose coordinated efforts create a safety net of comfort, dignity, and respect. The people who deliver this care are described as extraordinary, special, and dedicated - traits that define the everyday reality of hospice work and give families a sense of steadiness when everything else feels uncertain.

Ultimately, these experiences converge on a shared dedication to improving the end-of-life journey for patients and their families. The author's own path - from a bystander nurse witnessing the power of hospice to a committed hospice professional - speaks to the transformative impact of compassionate care. Gratitude fills the narrative for every member of the hospice team across settings - hospital inpatient facilities and home hospice alike. The message is consistent: hospice care, when delivered with warmth, respect, and unwavering support, can bring comfort, lessen fear, and help families find a measure of peace at the end of a difficult road.

Parks

• Perry Farm Park Exploration Station (0.1 miles)
• Jurassic Park (1.1 miles)
• Hawkins Park (1.7 miles)
• Bird's Park (2.3 miles)

Restaurants

• Beggars Pizza (0.1 miles)
• Jimmy John's (0.2 miles)
• Taco Bell (0.3 miles)
• Brick Stone Brewery (0.5 miles)
• El Burrito Loco (0.6 miles)
• Wendy's (0.6 miles)
• KFC (0.9 miles)

Physicians

• Main Street Opticians (0.2 miles)
• Avtar K. Razdan, MD (0.4 miles)
• Brown Professional Centre (0.4 miles)
• Riverside Medical Group - Pediatric Specialists (0.4 miles)
• Aashish Gandhi MD (0.4 miles)
• AccuQuest Hearing Centers (0.5 miles)
• Kankakee VA Outpatient Clinic (0.5 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.4 miles)
• Yolks & Berries (1.6 miles)
• Starbucks (1.9 miles)
• Panera Bread (2.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• Riverview Pharmacy (0.4 miles)
• Walgreens (1.6 miles)
• Riverside Family Pharmacy (2.2 miles)

Hospitals

• Da Vita (0.5 miles)
• Oak Surgical Institute (1.2 miles)
• Riverside Medical Center (2.2 miles)
• Provena St Mary's Hospital (2.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Joseph Youth Ministry (1 miles)
• Southern Baptist Convention (2.3 miles)
• God's Lighthouse Church (2.3 miles)
• River Valley Christian Fellowship (2.3 miles)
• Morning Star Baptist Church (2.4 miles)
• First United Pentecostal Church (2.4 miles)

Theaters

• Cinemark Movies 10 (2.2 miles)