Dr. Patricia Ritzman, an oncologist who practices in Woodstock, also is medical director of the Hospice of Northeastern Illinois Inc. in Barrington. She provides input on individual cases, reviews policies and procedures with staff and acts as a resource for physicians.
She has referred many patients to hospice care, and one of her goals is to acquaint more area physicians with the benefits hospice can provide their patients.
”Hospice should be looked on as an option. When we reach a point with a patient where we are discovering recurrent cancer and where known treatments will not produce long recession, then I introduce the subject of hospice.”
Ritzman says while hospice works for some patients, others choose either to pursue aggressive, even experimental treatment, or have a network of family, friends or church groups to help. She supports either choice.
”For those patients who feel they don`t want aggressive intervention, for whom there is no cure and would prefer to stay at home, they are hospice appropriate.”
Ritzman notes that many of her patients would like to stay at home, but
”they don`t want to burden the family. And the family wonders how to handle it, whether they are doing the right thing.
”One thing that first attracted me to the concept is that the calls we were receiving in the practice were often not related to physical aspects of the illness.
”The approach with hospice is that the patient is more than a physical being. It addresses all aspects, physical, emotional, spiritual,
psychological, so all types of pain are taken care of.”
A patient who chooses hospice is not written off. ”We take away the pain so they can focus their emotions on what they want or need to do,” says Ritzman. ”The emphasis is on living until the moment of death, rather than emphasizing dying.
”The biggest compliment we receive is from family members who come back and say, `You did make a difference.”`
