Our Physicians Respond

Midwest CareCenter physicians will respond to selected questions about healthcare issues that are submitted by visitors to the Midwest CareCenter website or by readers of our various publications.

Please note that not all questions can be answered in this section.

For immediate assistance, please call:
(847) 467-7423
TTY: (800) 526-0857
(24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

• I recently decided to have a mastectomy for a new diagnosis of breast cancer. My friends say I should call now for palliative care help. Isn’t that a bit premature?
  Jennifer Dumrauf, APN, C-CNS
• When is the best time to enroll in a hospice program?
  Jason M. Sobel, MD
• My neighbor just had hospice care when she was in the hospital. Isn’t hospice care only for patients at home?
  Alan Smookler, MD
• My dad wants to continue living alone. But leaving the house has become a major effort, making it difficult for him to visit his physician. How can I help him manage his healthcare?
  Denise Britton, NP, and Dayna Portnoy, NP
• My mother is showing early signs of Alzheimer’s. What should we anticipate and how can we plan for her care needs as the disease advances?
  Sam Katz, MD, and Maureen McGilly, MD

• I have just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and am curious as well as anxious about what to expect in the coming years. What can I do now that will help me deal with my condition in the future?
• I care for my mother who suffers from a variety of age-related health issues that seem to have become more severe but are not life-threatening. What care alternatives should we consider?
• I was diagnosed with a bone marrow problem a few years ago. Recently, the illness has progressed, and new treatments have been recommended. I don’t want hospice; I plan to keep on fighting this disease. Can CareCenter help me?
• How does a hospice program work with my personal physician?
• As I’ve gotten older and some of my health conditions have gotten worse, I find I have more trouble sleeping through the night. Is insomnia just a symptom of aging or can something be done to help me sleep better?
• I have recently started hearing a new term, "palliative care," used in connection with the term "hospice." Are they the same, or different, and if so, how?
• Is hospice only for the last six months of life?
• My doctor prescribed pain medication for my osteoarthritis but I am afraid to take it—aren’t a lot of prescription pain medications addictive?
• My father is in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s, and his hospice nurse has suggested music-thanatology. How is it different from music therapy?
• My mother is homebound due to diabetes and has problems with chapping, very dry skin and itchiness. What can we do to keep her skin moisturized?
• My uncle is going in for a total hip replacement. Will home healthcare allow him to go home directly after his surgery?
• The pain from my rheumatoid arthritis and other health problems interferes with my daily life. What is available for my pain and where can I go for help?