When a loved one is on hospice, the greatest gift you can give them is your time. Sit with them as you play their favorite music, read to them or share memories. No gift you give is more valuable than this time together.
It’s teamwork that makes caring for your patients successful. The efforts of the nurses, social workers, aids—the list goes on. But there’s someone who is just as important: the caregiver. You know their job can be tough. Being a caregiver can be taxing, both physically and emotionally. And without enough assistance or support, the caregiver can experience burnout.
Seasons change, days get shorter, and holiday tunes start to dominate the radio, but life doesn’t seem to change much when you are caring for someone with a terminal, life-limiting or chronic condition. Learning to balance the responsibilities of caring for someone day in and day out can be exhausting. In fact, it can be overwhelming.
The definition of a “caregiver” is “a person who provides direct care (as for children, elderly people or the chronically ill).” From such a simple description, it naturally follows that the task of caregiving has existed since humans first walked the earth. However, despite the passage of time, no one can deny the scope of responsibilities of a caregiver and the struggles involved in maintaining the wellbeing of your loved one as well as your own.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the United States, affecting over 11 million people. What’s scary is that many don’t even know they have the disease. A chronic and progressive condition, the early warning signs of shortness of breath and fatigue are often dismissed as a normal part of aging.
For many, the holiday season is a time for family celebrations and making cherished memories. But for families coping with Alzheimer’s disease, it can be a bittersweet and emotionally-charged time because there’s a struggle to handle the additional stress.
