Caring for Terminally Ill Patients and their Caregivers

Even in healthcare settings, death is (understandably) really uncomfortable to talk about. Most of us don’t want to think about our own death, let alone that of our loved ones. It’s hard– but that’s what makes these conversations so important to have in advance.

End of life care can be very stressful for both patients and families. Having conversations about wishes for end of life care now can make this difficult time a little less stressful later. With the current pandemic, a lot of people aren’t even able to have their family around them, which I think we can all agree sounds even more difficult.

Care for Terminally Ill Patients

One of the most important things you can do, even if you are healthy right now, is to fill out advance directives. You can find New York’s here, and every other state’s here. These forms basically document your wishes about end of life care– what you would want in the event you can’t speak for yourself, who can make decisions about your healthcare, etc. While it can be really hard to fill these out and think about a time when they might need to be used, completing them and knowing that neither yourself or your family will be burdened with stressful decision-making is worth taking the time.

When patients are in the last few months of life, hospice is one of the options available to them. In Albany, the Community Hospice provides hospice services to patients at home, in nursing facilities, and also in St. Peter’s hospital at the Hospice Inn.

Visiting Angels is another option for in-home care, especially for people who want to remain as independent as possible. You can schedule visits and create a care plan to help with daily activities, providing company, and helping with meals and medications.

There are a couple more end of life care options that I have listed on a separate post here.

Supporting Caregivers

Caregiver burden can really affect the health of family caregivers and also patients. It’s important that caregivers get the support and relief they need when caring for a loved one– here are some resources in Albany for caregiver support, including a support group. Having been a caregiver myself, I know it can be really relieving to talk to people that have or are experiencing similar stresses.

Caregiving during a pandemic can be even more difficult– the CDC has listed some helpful tips for caregiving at this time to try and prepare for staying at home for a longer period of time. If you are caregiving for someone, it’s important to check in with yourself from time to time and recognize when you need a break. It can be really hard to ask for help, but doing it all alone also gets really overwhelming really fast. On the other hand, if you know someone that is a caregiver, make sure you take some time to ask them if they need anything (picking up medications, groceries) and what you can do to help.

While end of life care has always been a part of healthcare, I think this pandemic has increased awareness of its importance and brought it to everyone’s attention a little more. These conversations and experiences will always be difficult, but thankfully there are some resources that can help make sure patients and families receive support as they go through it.

17,716 thoughts on “Caring for Terminally Ill Patients and their Caregivers

  1. Very useful post. This is my first time i visit here. I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. Really its great article. Keep it up IMMIGRATION ADVICE .

    Reply

  2. the most common table lamp these days still use incandescent lamp but some of them use compact fluorescent lamps which are cool to touch,, kèo nhà cái

    Reply

  3. Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. After all I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon! ketua123 gacor

    Reply

  4. Thanks for sharing nice information with us. i like your post and all you share with us is uptodate and quite informative, i would like to bookmark the page so i can come here again to read you, as you have done a wonderful job. Winnipeg real estate agent

    Reply

  5. I wanted to thank you for this excellent read!! I definitely loved every little bit of it. I have you bookmarked your site to check out the new stuff you post. hi 88

    Reply

  6. Thanks for the tips you have provided here. One more thing I would like to mention is that laptop memory requirements generally increase along with other breakthroughs in the engineering. For instance, as soon as new generations of processors are introduced to the market, there is usually a matching increase in the shape demands of all computer system memory plus hard drive room. This is because the application operated by these cpus will inevitably boost in power to leverage the new engineering. sex doll torso

    Reply

  7. All other webmasters should make note: this is what great posts look like! I can’t wait to read more of your writing! Not only is it thoughtful, but it is also well-written. If you could respond with a link to your Facebook, I would be extremely grateful! Rollbit.com

    Reply

  8. Wonderful article, thanks for putting this together! This is obviously one great post. Thanks for the valuable information and insights you have so provided here. pg

    Reply

  9. Wonderful article, thanks for putting this together! This is obviously one great post. Thanks for the valuable information and insights you have so provided here. AV SubThai

    Reply

  10. SIP33 menyediakan judi slot online dengan banyak link slot gacor terpercaya dan slot88 yang hari ini menjadi andalan dalam memfasilitasi para member untuk bermain berbagai jenis taruhan slot online terbaik. slot gacor terpercaya

    Reply

  11. SIP33 menyediakan judi slot online dengan banyak link slot gacor terpercaya dan slot88 yang hari ini menjadi andalan dalam memfasilitasi para member untuk bermain berbagai jenis taruhan slot online terbaik. slot gacor terpercaya

    Reply

  12. SIP33 menyediakan judi slot online dengan banyak link slot gacor terpercaya dan slot88 yang hari ini menjadi andalan dalam memfasilitasi para member untuk bermain berbagai jenis taruhan slot online terbaik. slot gacor terpercaya

    Reply

  13. SIP33 menyediakan judi slot online dengan banyak link slot gacor terpercaya dan slot88 yang hari ini menjadi andalan dalam memfasilitasi para member untuk bermain berbagai jenis taruhan slot online terbaik. slot gacor terpercaya

    Reply

  14. SIP33 menyediakan judi slot online dengan banyak link slot gacor terpercaya dan slot88 yang hari ini menjadi andalan dalam memfasilitasi para member untuk bermain berbagai jenis taruhan slot online terbaik. slot gacor terpercaya

    Reply

  15. As I web site possessor I believe the content matter here is rattling fantastic , appreciate it for your efforts. You should keep it up forever! Good Luck. layerzero airdrop

    Reply

  16. Thanks for reaching out. We’d love to help you out here. Hence, we kindly request you to provide a brief summary of the issue you are facing. Thanks so much and let us know if you have any other concerns. KDealer

    Reply

  17. JET178 merupakan situs slot gacor online terpercaya yang menyediakan tempat untuk para pemain slot gacor online Indonesia bermain judi online dengan berbagai fasilitas termewah dan menguntungkan. Setiap member akan mendapatkan bonus berlimpah setiap harinya baik itu member baru maupun member setia JET178. slot hoki

    Reply

  18. ALEXISTOGEL agen slot online gacor memberikan anda berbagai pilihan permainan dari berbagai provider slot terkemuka untuk perbesar peluang menang dipadu dengan pilihan promo fantastis. alexistogel hongkong

    Reply

  19. ALEXISTOGEL Situs Toto Sydney Pasti Bayar Guarantee For The Best Platform Gaming in The World, Join and Get Promo Terbaik kami. alexistogel toto

    Reply

  20. This phenomenal hearings thoroughly correct. Most of low statistics are prepared by making usage of large number about feel effective skills. We’re anxious the software once a whole lot. ETA Anforderungen für Kanada

    Reply

  21. ALEXISTOGEL Link Alternatif Bandar Togel Online dengan berbagai fitur terbaik serta exclusive yang memudahkan seluruh player dalam bermain aman dan nyaman. bandar alexistogel

    Reply

  22. Alexistogel yang sudah lebih dari 7 tahun menjadi situs dengan pasaran togel paling lengkap dan mode permainan terbaik dimana kenyamanan bermain player adalah kunci utama. bandar alexistogel

    Reply

  23. I’ve recently started a blog, and the information you provide on this web site has helped me greatly. Thank you for all of your time & work. giai ma keo nha cai

    Reply

  24. Very great post. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to mention that I have really enjoyed surfing around your weblog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon MPO999 .

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *