Caregivers often want to do everything they can for the patient they are supporting, but they have their own lives too. Work, school, partners and children, and time for themselves are just as important as end-of-life care for their loved one.
Consider the idea of “care for the caregiver.” You know the time you have with the person you are caring for is limited, and you want to treasure every moment. But if you’re too physically, mentally, or emotionally worn out, you won’t be able to care for that person the way you want to — or the way they deserve.
What can you do to care for yourself as a caregiver?
Accept your situation
Facing the reality that someone important to you is in need of end-of-life care can be difficult to process.
It is important to seek assistance when you need help. You’ll find expert support and resources from the team at Centrica Care Navigators.
“I always think of the phrase, ‘We can’t pour from an empty cup,’” says Rachel, our manager of counseling services. “It’s important that caregivers take time for themselves to best support their loved ones.”
Take time for yourself
This can be something small like watching a movie, taking a nap, or reading a good book. You may also decide to get a massage or go on a trip. Whatever you choose, remember to make it a time where you are intentionally focused on caring for yourself.
Centrica Care Navigators volunteers can offer respite, giving you an afternoon or a few hours of time for yourself, while they provide the same compassionate, quality care you give to your loved one. Talk to your social worker about what our volunteers can do for you.
Support from the Centrica Care Navigators team
When the Centrica Care Navigators team first meets with a patient, they get to know their situation — their illness, their living conditions, and the people in their life. They help develop a schedule with the patient and their designated caregiver. That schedule indicates when a physician, a nurse, and a hospice aide will be visiting the patient. It’s also a plan for visits from other members of the Centrica Care Navigators team, like chaplains and social workers.
Throughout your time with Centrica Care Navigators, you’ll be able to talk with your team and ask questions. You will receive written guides full of information to support your role as a caregiver and make your loved one’s time in care appropriate to their needs and wishes. This information is also available on our website. You’re always encouraged to talk with your loved one’s nurse, hospice aide, and other professionals about their condition.
You might find that each time you talk with the team or read through our material, you learn something new about caregiving. Maybe it’s how to move your loved one so you can change the sheets on their bed, or perhaps you notice a change in their health that our providers can help with.
Those things are victories in your quest to make your loved one comfortable and provide them with a high quality of life during the time they are in hospice. Celebrate what you have learned and how it is helping.
Talk to friends and family
Friends and family care about you. They are there to listen, and help you explore your feelings. Talk to them! Even if they don’t have experience as a caregiver, they are almost certainly interested in learning how you are doing and supporting you.
Ask for help
Your Centrica Care Navigators team is not there to simply administer medication and walk away. They are there to help your loved one, your family, and you, too. If you need assistance, ask them — they’ll be glad to support you.
Providing care for a loved one doesn’t have to be a one-person job. Friends, family, and neighbors may also be able to help. Can they take over some of the caregiving responsibilities for a little while, so you can step away? If a friend or family member isn’t available, your Centrica Care Navigators team can introduce you to local home health care companies that can offer the same kind of support.
Given the lives that many families lead, a caregiver might be several hours away, or living in another state. They can still be effective caregivers, though, as long as they stay in touch with phone or video calls and emails. Our staff is available to connect with caregivers wherever they may live.
Our experienced team will work with you to make your loved one’s time in palliative and/or hospice care as comfortable as possible.
Discover more here on our website, join us on social media, or call us at 269.345.0273.
