Hospice Emotional & Spiritual Care In Dublin City, California
Hospice care may be a difficult and taxing time for caregivers and their loved ones. Transitioning into hospice care can be a challenging and demanding period for everyone involved. Paperwork will be required, as will numerously phone calls to family and friends to ensure that everything is in order for the ceremony. Overwhelm and upset are perfectly typical sentiments to experience at times, and they are completely natural. In order to cope with your condition, you will need to prepare yourself emotionally during the process of shifting into hospice care. For those who may be entering hospice care in the near future, here are some tips for easing the emotional toll of the process on themselves and their loved ones.
You May Ask As Many Questions As You Require
As you prepare for hospice care, don’t be afraid to ask your doctor and nurses as many questions as you need to know about the process. Consult with your healthcare providers if there is any area of hospice care about which you are unsure. This is especially important if there is something that you are anxious about or afraid of. In the case of pain, for example, you should consult with your healthcare professionals to find out what they think about how much pain you will be experiencing. You can trust that your doctors and nurses will respond to all of your inquiries honestly and compassionately on your behalf.
One such possibility is that you’ve heard certain myths about hospice care and are concerned about whether or not these myths are true. Discuss hospice care in greater detail with your healthcare provider if you want to fully comprehend what it includes. Because it is only through asking questions that you will be able to clear up any mysteries around hospice care and feel a bit less fearful of the situation.
Recognize Your Limitations And Schedule Time For Yourself
Prepare your loved one for hospice care can be a challenging duty for a caregiver, as it is sometimes easier said than done when it comes to preparing someone for hospice. Your to-do list may appear to be an endless list of tasks. You should include on this list any items that will have a big emotional impact on you, such as calling close friends of a deceased loved one. We all have days when we feel overwhelmed by the avalanche of tasks that seem to keep piling up and that we have to get done.
Establishing boundaries for yourself will help you avoid burnout and protect your mental well-being in the long run. Make a list of everything that needs to be done before your loved one enters hospice care for the first time to ensure that everything runs well. Decide on a couple of chores to complete each day and write them down on a manageable to-do list for yourself to keep track of everything. Attempt not to think about all of the other things you need to get done; instead, focus entirely on the task at hand.
After you have done your set of activities, take some time to relax. Allotting yourself some space in between phone calls or visits with your loved one will help you better understand what is going on in their lives. Engaging in a calming activity will allow you to take advantage of these opportunities to relax. Spend time relaxing and recharging your batteries by taking a warm bath, visiting a spa, or taking a long walk in the park. Make a point of spending some peaceful time alone with your thoughts, allowing them to carry you anywhere they choose. The clarity of your mind will return after this small period of rest, and you will be able to resume with the task of aiding your loved one without difficulty.
Consult With A Professional Counsellor
For both caregivers and hospice patients, counselling is a vital weapon in the battle against terminal illness. Patients in hospice can benefit from the guidance of counsellors as they come to terms with their sickness. This group of people can aid you in coping with the emotional toll that the sickness has taken on you, as well as in reducing or eliminating any worries you may be experiencing.
Caregivers might also benefit greatly from speaking with a trained professional counsellor about their concerns. Providers of care are drained both physically and emotionally as a result of their efforts. If you do not have someone with whom to discuss your feelings, the probability of experiencing burnout increases considerably.
Counselors can also assist you in better understanding the feelings you’re experiencing when assisting a family member or friend in need of assistance. During the hospice transition, it is not uncommon for caregivers to experience negative emotions such as anger and irritation, as well as other negative feelings. Caregivers will then feel guilty for feeling those emotions, and they will attempt to repress those emotions on a regular basis. It is possible that this will lead to an increase in stress and rage. You will be able to express yourself more freely with the help of a counsellor who will be able to assist you in understanding why you are having bad emotions.
You may also find that seeking professional assistance is advantageous if you and another family member are growing increasingly angry with one another while you prepare your loved one for hospice care. During the therapy session, you will have the opportunity to discuss any issues you may have. The counsellor will then aid you in developing and putting into action solutions to your problems that you have identified.
During the transition to hospice care, patients, their families, and caregivers all experience a range of profound emotions. Fortunately, counsellors are well aware of this and experienced in designing techniques to aid you in coping with your emotions during this trying period.
Fill In The Blanks With How You're Feeling
As soon as your feelings of annoyance or anxiety become unbearable, sit down with a journal and write down your thoughts and feelings. Everything you’re thinking and feeling should be written down, even if it’s an emotion you’re embarrassed to confess to yourself. A notebook should contain all of your emotions and thoughts, and writing everything down can be really beneficial. It might also help you make sense of all that is going on in your life at the moment. Allow yourself to free write for as long as you need on whatever topic you want for as long as you need. During the process of preparing your loved one for hospice care, you can repeat this practice as many times as you need.
Place Your Trust In A Friend
In the event that you need to take a break from hospice care preparations or simply need to chat to someone about something, consult with a trusted friend. Identify a trusted person with whom you can be entirely honest, and confide in that friend about everything that is going on with your loved one in complete confidence. Your friend should be informed of your worries and should be consulted for guidance on how to cope with them if they exist. Talking to a trustworthy confidante or friend about your frustrations can help you to release them. Following that, you will almost surely notice a big reduction in your stress levels.
Referral To A Hospice Facility
In the vast majority of cases, the public is uninformed, and they assume that hospice care must be recommended or referred to them by a healthcare professional. However, in order to receive treatment, it is not necessary to begin with a reference from a physician first. Patients and their families can also “self-refer” to the clinic in order to request an evaluation. You will be contacted by the hospice team to discuss your loved one’s medical condition and whether hospice is an appropriate option for your family. Once you have requested hospice care for a loved one, the hospice team will contact your loved one’s doctors to determine whether or not hospice is an appropriate option for your family. You can also begin the process by bringing up the notion with the patient’s doctor, who will then decide whether or not hospice care is appropriate for the patient and will give a referral if it is appropriate.
It is common for hospice care providers to visit patients within 48 hours of obtaining a recommendation or “self-referral,” depending on the circumstances. When a patient’s life expectancy is expected to be 6 months or less following diagnosis, hospice care is normally commenced, according to the usual course of the condition. Hospice is not a commitment, and patients can choose to cease hospice treatment and choose another active treatment at any time. Although some individuals are worried about starting hospice because they fear it will indicate “giving up,” hospice is not a commitment. Ultimately, the decision to obtain hospice care is made by the patient.
Talking With Someone You Care About
It’s difficult to broach the subject of hospice care with a loved one because you don’t want them to think you’ve given up on them. But it’s necessary. In order to help your loved, one makes the right choice, you must be well-versed in what it is and what it includes. When it comes to discussing hospice care with a loved one, being well-informed, patient, and sympathetic are all excellent strategies.
How Do You Approach Your Loved One?
Your loved one’s end-of-life situation can cause you to feel anxious or perplexed when you first contact them about hospice care. Good intentions and a sincere desire for their well-being are two of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal while dealing with children. As soon as possible rather than later, you should bring up the idea of hospice care to ensure that they are adequately cared for and comfortable. The decision is theirs, and you should always respect it, no matter how difficult it is. There are, however, ways in which you can persuade them to accept the change.
Assuring Your Family Member's Comfort
Assuring your loved one that they have the option to withdraw from hospice at any time and resume their own curative treatment is important. Ask them what they think will happen if they decide to go into hospice care too soon following their diagnosis. In the event that progress or stability is shown at any time, they can stop the process. To help them accept hospice care, you might stress out that it not only supports them, but also all of the people who are essential to them. After the patient’s death, hospice care aims to help the patient and his or her family deal with the situation and move forward. Many patients find this to be a great relief.
Prepare For Hospice Care
The decision to accept hospice care is a difficult one for both caregivers and patients, who are likely to experience mixed emotions. Please do not hesitate to ask your doctors and nurses any questions you may have at any point during this process, no matter how small they may seem at the moment. It’s also important to remember to take breaks if you’re a caregiver to avoid being burned out on the job. During the transition to hospice care, a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being may be negatively impacted. Please allow yourself the time you require to prepare for this transition.
Melodia Care Hospice is delighted to address any questions you may have about hospice care. Please contact us if you have any questions. In addition, we are delighted to provide information on any component of the hospice care process that you may have questions about. If you have any questions, then you can reach us at any time by contacting us through our 24/7 online customer support chat or by calling 1-888 635-6347 (MELODI-7) & Melodia Care Hospice.