Tag Archives: caregiver

Every Person Needs to Understand Hospice Care

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Every adult, regardless of age or physical condition, will do well to become familiar with hospice care: what it is and what it is not. Family caregivers, professionals, and individuals need to be informed before major decisions have to be made for yourself or a loved one.

            Sudden illnesses or accidents can quickly disrupt any family. While many do not want to consider end-of-life decisions, much stress is alleviated as families are well-informed concerning future options. These decisions are better made before a person’s health is declining.

            Living wills are designed to simplify this process and to make sure individual desires are met with dignity and compassion. Living wills record personal requests for end-of-life care. Family members are then relieved of the stress of making decisions based on emotions or feelings of the moment. 

            Hospice is not simply an agency that moves in to hold hands of the dying as their life ends. The services they provide are invaluable. Here are just a few of the benefits of hospice care:

1. Hospice care will help free up the time of the primary caregiver and family members. You can be assured your loved one is getting good care.

2. You will have a nurse or aide available to answer your questions. Because their focus is on one patient at a time, they can take time to fully address each concern.

3. A hospice person will be up-to-date on the latest services available to help you as well as your loved one.

4. Hospice care can reduce ER visits and inpatient hospitalization which are costly and emotionally traumatizing for the patient and family.

5. Hospice care is often covered by Medicare and some insurance providers. Be sure to check what is available in your state.

6. There is children’s hospice services dedicated to improving the quality of life of children and young people who are not expected to live to reach adulthood.

Hospice began in the 11th century as a way to treat incurably ill and dying and to provide refuge for travelers throughout the world. Volunteers were counted on to maintain this movement and provide needed care. In other countries, hospice refers to a building or institution; here in the U.S. we refer to the service itself. While the very word brings the idea of impending death and sadness, hospice programs now focus more on helping patients live productive and pain-free lives as long as possible.

Now there is long-term care available, not just for the dying. Next week we will look into palliative care. I believe this will be an encouragement and help to you and your loved ones.

Please leave a comment below if you’ve found this helpful to you in your journey.

Hugs,

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Tips on How to Survive Winters Stress

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Tips on How to Survive Winters StressWeeks of winter can leave us frozen in our tracks! Caring for self and family can become drudgery instead of blessing. Many of us want to snuggle up in a corner and sleep until spring arrives!

Can you relate? It seems impossible to get menial tasks done when focused on weather. Stress builds as we consider the cost of fuel, food, and necessities. Workers have difficulty getting to and from jobs; it’s challenging to meet the immediate needs of a household.

For you who are caregivers, you may feel more hemmed in than ever before. It’s hard to keep things going when we get depressed. What could be time for each of us to catch up while snowed in may have turned into long, unproductive days and weeks of wishful thinking and procrastination.

Well, if in summer we say, “when given lemons, make lemonade,” then what shall we say when given ice and snow? Make ice cream? Yes! We can do this!

The solution is found in this quote from Anthony J.D’Angelo, “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.”

So, dear friend, shake off those feelings, pull up your bootstraps, and smile as we get at the tasks at hand. We can do this!

Here are the steps I took to warm things up.

#1. Comb my hair and put on some makeup to show off my pretty smile!

#2. Pick up and put away all the newspapers, mail, and jackets strewn around the place.

#3. Fill the crock pot with stew, beans, or a roast. That aroma will liven the entire household.

#4. Choose one thing I need to work on today and have it ready to do.

#5. Begin now to plan for a sunshiny day again tomorrow—regardless of what the weather may bring.

#6. As always, thank my Heavenly Father for each breath I take, for those I love and care for, and for His perfect plan.

Let me hear how you are surviving the wiles of winter.

With hugs and prayers,

Thanks for referring this site to others; I am thankful for my new friends. Haven’t signed up yet? Check the pretty box at the top right of the page.

5 Problem Solving Helps When Caring for Others

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Anna is primary caregiver for her mother and stretched to the max keeping up with work, family, and life. She is somewhat relieved that her ailing mother is now in a good extended care facility; and they keep her informed of any changes in her mother’s physical condition or her care. Or, so she thought.

On a recent visit, she found her mother’s condition had worsened, and no one had prepared Anna for drastic changes in her care. Her initial reaction was to feel angry, hurt, and helpless. Often she was made to feel like an intruder as she began to question the changes.

As parents, friends, relatives or primary caregivers, we each will come face-to-face with sudden emergencies and need to be prepared to deal properly with them. Here are some helpful tips to avoid or at least ease the tension of these situations. We’ll look at what Anna learned from personal experience and from a gentle nurse who sensed her frustrations and told her, “you wait right here. I will not let you leave until I get the answers for you concerning your mother’s care”. It was clear, this nurse loved what she was doing; she wanted to help people and encourage co-workers.

1. You are often the patient’s advocate whether you asked for the position or not. They may not be able to express their needs. The same inadequate care or neglect may be happening to other patients; those in charge need to hear from you. Do not hesitate to go directly to the administrator, physician, or others in charge for clarification and direction.
2. When someone in your care enters a new facility, document everything you can. Post names of employees who give especially reliable care and those you have cause to question. When things are not as they should be in the facility or with the patient, make a note of it and who is working at the time.
3. Take time to assess the current situation. Ask yourself, is this really of prime importance to her overall care and well-being? Am I over-reacting? Stop. Take time to honestly evaluate your position. You do not want to complicate the problem by acting in haste.
4. Proceed kindly with determination to find solutions. Resolve to be kind to everyone involved. You may need to stop more than once to breathe deeply, relax, and continue in a better frame of mind.
5. Strive to be an encourager, even in difficult times. Many of the employees are doing the best they can. As they say, “don’t let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch.”
6. Remember why you are there as well. Are you caring for your loved one from a loving heart, out of duty, or some other reason?

It can prove extremely difficult from time to time to care for others. However, if we do it because we love them, the task becomes much easier. As we grow into better caregivers, the patients feel genuinely loved,  accepted and cared for.

As I read over these helps, I see they can apply to all areas of our lives; children in schools, on the job, at work or play. People of all ages and health need the same thing—love, acceptance, and hope for a good day. You can be the instrument today to help another.

Praying you will feel that love and acceptance and an extra surge of energy and hope as you care for others along your path.

Hugs,

Let me hear from you soon. Be sure you are signed up for my newsletter (pretty box in the top right hand corner) as I have exciting, encouraging things to share in the weeks to come.  Thanks.