Hospice care at home allows Cincinnati residents with incurable conditions to remain in a familiar and comfortable setting at the end of life. Doctors, nurses, therapists and other skilled professionals make house calls to treat symptoms and provide support, but family members serve as the primary caregivers in hospice care.
Being responsible for a loved one’s day-to-day care during the final months of life is a heavy burden – and many caregivers become so focused on meeting the needs of the hospice patient that they overlook their own.
If you’re about to be a hospice caregiver, understanding the challenges you face and how to cope is crucial to your own health and well-being. By taking care of yourself, you’ll be better able to care for your loved one. The hospice care team at Suncrest in Cincinnati can provide you with support, but for now, reading this guide may be helpful.
Challenges for Cincinnati Hospice Caregivers
For hospice care at home to be possible, family members must step in and accept responsibility for day-to-day caregiving. The role may involve assisting with hygiene and personal care, administering medication, handling household chores, managing the finances and a host of other tasks. It’s not an easy job, to say the least.
The demands of caregiving can lead to a number of concerns, and many hospice caregivers in Cincinnati experience the following:
- Patient care challenges, such as difficulties with pain and symptom management, patient safety concerns and the need for additional assistance
- Emotional challenges, including anger at feeling overwhelmed, guilt for not being able to do more, worry about the future and grief over the loss of a loved one
- Social challenges, like friends becoming more distant, being too tired to socialize due to hospice care duties and not having opportunities to get out of the house
- Financial challenges, namely issues related to the caregiver’s loss of work and concerns over income that will be lost when the patient passes away
In addition, hospice caregivers often face health challenges. Fatigue is a common complaint, and as time goes on, the stress of the role can lead to physical, emotional and social distress. To avoid this outcome, caregivers of hospice patients need to find ways to cope.
Coping Strategies for Hospice Caregivers
Caring for a loved one who is nearing the end of life is incredibly challenging. Anyone who takes on the role of hospice caregiver needs to be mindful of their own health and wellness – not just that of the incurably ill individual.
That may be easier said than done, but the right strategies can help caregivers cope when challenges arise. For many with loved ones in hospice care, the following techniques work to reduce stress:
Problem-Focused Coping Strategies
Problem-focused coping is dealing with a challenging or stressful situation by addressing the underlying cause. In the realm of hospice care, this approach may involve:
- Asking friends and family members for support
- Carving out time to take regular breaks during the day
- Reaching out to the hospice care team for guidance
- Creating a to-do list and a schedule for the week
- Arranging for respite care to have a few days off
Emotion-Focused Coping Strategies
Emotion-focused coping involves efforts to manage feelings and emotional responses rather than addressing outside circumstances. Strategies that can be helpful for hospice caregivers include:
- Recognizing successes instead of focusing on the negatives
- Going for a walk or engaging in a recreational sport
- Doing something enjoyable, like reading or listening to music
- Looking at pictures or watching videos that bring joy
- Playing with a pet, taking a hot bath or spending time in nature
Self-Care Reminders for Hospice Caregivers
Taking care of a loved one with a terminal illness is both physically and emotionally exhausting, even with the support of the hospice care team – so much so that people in this position often end up needing specialized care themselves.
For any caregiver of a hospice patient, practicing self-care is critical. Here, the team at Suncrest Hospice in Cincinnati shares several tips for maintaining your health and wellness when you become the caregiver of a loved one in hospice care:
- Get plenty of rest, taking naps during the day while your loved one rests
- Make a point of eating – it’s easy to forget when caring for someone else
- Adopt a daily practice that centers you, such as yoga or meditation
- Stay connected with friends and family, making time for calls and visits
- Ask for help from your local church or faith community, if you belong to one
- Plan for your own needs when you plan for your loved one’s care needs
- Be kind to yourself, accepting your limitations and forgiving your mistakes
- Find at least one person to lean on, someone who makes you feel better
Also, don’t forget that the hospice care team is there to help patients and their loved ones. A hospice social worker, for example, can connect you with support groups in the Cincinnati area. And a hospice chaplain can provide spiritual support to help you work through your grief. Utilize the services of the hospice team, and navigating the end-of-life journey with your loved one will be less stressful.
When it’s time to arrange for hospice care, Suncrest is the company to call. We’re dedicated to helping patients and their families enjoy life as much as possible, and our team is always ready to offer guidance and advice. For more information on hospice care at home in Cincinnati, Ohio, contact us today.
