Hospice Emotional & Spiritual Care In El Cerrito City, California
A tough and demanding time for caregivers and loved ones, transitioning into hospice care may be a difficult and demanding time for everyone involved. You’ll have papers to fill out and a slew of phone calls to make to family and friends to prepare for the event. You may have feelings of overwhelm and upset from time to time, which is quite normal. During the process of transitioning into hospice care, you will want to prepare yourself emotionally so that you can cope with your situation. If you or a loved one will be entering hospice care in the near future, here are some suggestions for preparing emotionally for this transition.
Ask As Many Questions As You Need
As you prepare for hospice care, don’t be hesitant to ask as many questions as you need to of your doctor and nurses. If there is any aspect of hospice care that you are unsure about, speak with your healthcare providers about it. This is especially vital if there is something about which you are concerned or frightened. For example, if you’re concerned about how much pain you’re going to endure, you should consult with your healthcare experts to find out their thoughts. Your doctors and nurses will answer all of your questions honestly and with empathy on your behalf.
Another possibility is that you’ve heard some myths regarding hospice care, and you’re concerned that these myths are accurate. In order for you to understand exactly what hospice care entails, you should speak with your healthcare professional. It is only through asking questions that you will be able to clear up any riddles around hospice care and feel a little less scared.
Know Your Limits And Take Time For Yourself
Preparing your loved one for hospice care can be a difficult task for a caregiver, since it is frequently easier said than done. Your to-do list may appear to be never-ending. This list will include items that will have a significant emotional impact on you, such as calling close friends of your deceased loved one. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the mountain of tasks that keep building up that you have to complete.
Set boundaries for yourself in order to avoid burnout and to safeguard your emotional well-being. Make a list of everything that needs to be done before your loved one begins hospice care for the first time. Choose a few tasks to complete each day and write them down on a manageable to-do list for yourself. Try not to think about all of the other things you have to do; instead, concentrate solely on the task at hand.
Take a rest after you have completed your set of tasks. Allowing yourself a brief period of time between phone calls or visits with your loved one can allow you to better comprehend everything that is going on. Take advantage of these opportunities to unwind by engaging in a relaxing activity. Take a warm bath, visit a spa, or go for a long walk in the park to relax and recharge your batteries. Spend some quiet time alone with your thoughts, allowing them to take you anywhere they choose. After this brief respite, your thoughts will be lot clearer, and you will be able to proceed with the process of assisting your loved one without difficulty.
Talk To A Counselor
Counseling is an extremely important tool for both caregivers and hospice patients alike. Hospice patients can benefit from the assistance of counsellors in understanding their illness. They can assist you in coping with the emotional toll that the illness has taken on you, as well as alleviate any fears that you may be experiencing.
Caregivers can also gain a great deal from speaking with a professional counsellor. It is physically and emotionally exhausting to provide care. The likelihood of experiencing burnout increases dramatically if you do not have someone with whom to share your feelings.
Counselors can also assist you in better understanding the emotions you’re experiencing while assisting a loved one. It is not uncommon for caregivers to experience negative emotions such as anger and frustration during the hospice transition. Caregivers will then feel guilty for feeling those emotions, and they will frequently try to suppress those emotions. This can then result in an increase in stress and anger. A counsellor will be able to assist you in understanding why you are experiencing negative emotions, and they will allow you to express yourself about what is bothering you.
Getting some professional help can also be beneficial if you and another family member are becoming increasingly frustrated with one another as you prepare your loved one for hospice care. You will have the opportunity to express your concerns during the counselling session. The counsellor will then assist you in identifying and implementing solutions to your problems.
Patients, their families, and caregivers all experience intense emotions during the transition into hospice treatment. Counselors are aware of this and are skilled in devising strategies to assist you in coping with your emotions during this difficult time.
Write Down What You’re Feeling
When your frustration or anxiety becomes unbearable, open a journal and write down your thoughts and feelings. Write down everything you’re thinking and feeling, even if it’s an emotion you’re embarrassed to admit to. All of your emotions and thoughts should be written down in a journal, and it can be very therapeutic to get everything down on paper. It can also assist you in making sense of everything you’re going through. Allow yourself to free write for as long as you need on any subject you want. As you prepare your loved one for hospice care, you can repeat this exercise as many times as necessary.
ConfideI in A Friend
Consult a trusted friend if you need to take a break from hospice care preparations or simply need to talk to someone about something. Choose a friend with whom you can be completely honest, and tell your friend everything that is going on with your loved one in complete confidence. Discuss your concerns with your friend and seek their advice on how to deal with them if they have any. Your frustrations can be vented by talking to a trusted confidante or friend. Afterward, you will almost certainly experience a significant reduction in stress.
Hospice Care Referral
The majority of the time, people are misinformed and believe that hospice care must be recommended or referred to them by a healthcare provider. But it is not necessary to begin with a physician’s referral in order to receive treatment. In addition, the patient and family members can “self-refer” themselves to the clinic in order to request an evaluation. Once you have requested hospice care for your 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 start the process by bringing up the idea with the patient’s doctor, who will then determine whether or not hospice care is appropriate for the patient and provide a referral.
Typically, a hospice care provider will visit the patient within 48 hours of receiving a referral or “self-referral.” According to the usual course of the illness, hospice care is typically initiated when a patient’s life expectancy is predicted to be 6 months or less after diagnosis. Although some people are apprehensive about starting hospice because they believe it will imply “giving up,” hospice is not a commitment, and the patient can choose to discontinue hospice treatment and pursue another active treatment at any time. Ultimately, it is the patient who determines whether or not to receive hospice assistance.
Talking To Your Loved One
The prospect of having the conversation about hospice care with a loved one can be intimidating because you never want them to feel as if you have given up on them. It is essential that you are well informed about what it is and what it entails in order to assist your loved one in making the right decision. When it comes to approaching your loved one about hospice care, being educated, patient, and empathic are some of the best approaches you can take.
How To Approach Your Loved One?
Whenever you approach your loved one about receiving hospice care, you may feel intimidated or bewildered about how to navigate a difficult end-of-life circumstance. One of the most effective things you can do is approach them with good intentions and let them know that you genuinely want them to have the highest quality of life possible. In order to ensure that they are well cared for and comfortable during this difficult time, you should bring up the subject of hospice care as soon as possible rather than later. Keep in mind that the final decision is theirs, and you should respect their decision no matter what. There are, however, some methods you can use to gently persuade them to accept it.
Easing Your Loved One’s Worry
Assure your loved one that they can opt out at any time and resume curative treatment if they are concerned that accepting hospice is akin to giving up on their own lives. It may be beneficial to inquire as to what they believe will happen if they commit to hospice care too soon after their diagnosis. If at any point in time they demonstrate progress or stabilization, they have the option to simply discontinue the process. As an additional means of assisting them in accepting hospice care, you can point out that it not only supports them, but also supports all of the important people in their lives. It is the goal of hospice care to assist the patient and his or her family in accepting what is happening, and to continue to provide support after the patient has passed away. This provides a great deal of comfort to many patients.
Preparing For Hospice Care
It is an emotional time for both caregivers and patients as they make the decision to enter hospice care. Remember to ask your doctors and nurses any questions you may have throughout this process, no matter how insignificant they may seem at the time. Also, if you’re a caregiver, remember to take breaks to avoid becoming burnt out on your job. A person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being can suffer during the transition to hospice care. Take the time you need to prepare for this change.
We, at Melodia Care Hospice, are happy to answer any questions you may have about hospice care. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about any aspect of the hospice care process. Please contact us if you have any questions.
You can reach us at any time of day or night by contacting us through our 24/7 online customer support chat or by calling 1-888 635-6347 (MELODI-7).