End-of-Life Care and Dying Well
The topic of dying is a difficult one for most of us. Families often struggle to cope with the idea of losing someone they love. Planning for end-of-life is the best way to help your family know how to make certain your wishes are honored.
Respite Allows Caregivers a Break
If you are caring for a senior loved one or a spouse with a chronic illness, you already know that caregiving is an all-encompassing, around the clock role. This is especially true when the older loved one you care for lives alone or has Alzheimer’s disease. You may find yourself constantly worrying and wondering if they are safe when you can’t be there.
A Guide to Hospice Levels of Care
Understanding the different types of care offered by hospice can be a bit confusing for patients and their families. To help patients receive the right type of care for whatever need arises, the Medicare Hospice benefit has four different levels of care. They include: routine hospice care at home, continuous care at home, general inpatient care (GIP), and respite care.
Busting the Myths about Hospice Care
One of the challenges of enlisting hospice care for a south central Pennsylvania loved one with a life-limiting illness is overcoming some of persistent myths about what hospice is and isn’t. From families to physicians, there is a considerable amount of confusion about hospice.
Depression While Caring for Others: Nine Survival Tips for Caregivers
The constant physical and emotional demands caregiving creates often lead to caregivers feeling a little blue. Caring for another person isn’t easy. The stress and exhaustion can be overwhelming. If the Pennsylvania senior loved one you care for has Alzheimer’s disease, the odds for you developing depression are even greater. The disease takes a real toll on caregivers.
As an adult child or caregiver, how can you tell when the blues are becoming something more serious? What can you do to prevent ending up with a case of depression? Here is some advice to support our caregiving friends in south central Pennsylvania.
Finding Online Support for the Caregiver
We are heading into the time of year when caregivers often feel most isolated and alone. The winter doldrums can be tough for family members who care for a senior. Cold and snowy winter days make many caregivers hesitant to venture out and risk their aging loved one experiencing a fall or complications from a chronic health condition. Yet the stress of caregiving, coupled with cabin fever, can make for a long winter. That is where online caregiver support communities can help. They connect caregivers across the country with their peers online.
Six Ways to Support a Caregiver
Caregiving can be very difficult work. No matter how much you love the person you are providing care for, there are times when the demands of the role can feel overwhelming. If you are trying to find ways to support someone who is a caregiver for someone they love, we have a few suggestions.
Five Ways to Avoid Caregiver Burnout
Taking care of a sick loved one is physically demanding as well as mentally and emotionally exhausting. Providing care for long stretches can leave caregivers feeling overworked and under-appreciated. Stress and fatigue–combined with determination to provide exceptional care for a loved one–can lead to caregiver burnout.
Five Healthy Caregiver Resolutions
The role of family caregiver can be a demanding one. The mental, physical and emotional toll it takes on a spouse or adult child can be significant. It isn’t uncommon for caregivers to experience an injury or develop a chronic health condition of their own as a result. To help you start the new year off on a healthier foot, we have pulled together a few suggestions.
Respite Care to Support the Weary Caregiver
As we head into the busy holiday season, family caregivers may be feeling overwhelmed. The difficult job of caregiving becomes even more so during this most hectic time of year. One option for help is called respite care. It is a service designed to give caregivers a break.
While most health care professionals encourage family caregivers to use respite services on a routine basis to maintain their own health, many of them fail to heed that advice. If you are a caregiver who has been reluctant to consider respite, the holidays might be the ideal time to give it a try.