Category: Caregiving Tips
Articles for caregivers of terminally ill patients including how to manage challenging situations.
Dementia Care for loved ones who are habitually restless
Caring for a loved one with dementia can be both rewarding and challenging. If your loved one has been restless throughout their life, this restlessness may continue as a symptom of their dementia. As an experienced hospice nurse, I understand the difficulties you may face in managing habitual restlessness while ensuring the safety and welfare of your loved one. In this article, I'll provide you with practical tips and evidence-based practices to create a calming environment for your loved one, even if they have trouble with fine motor control due to arthritis or other factors.
Managing Infections in the Geriatric Population
This article will delve into common infections in geriatric patients, encompassing early, middle, and late-stage symptoms, preventive measures, and prevalent treatment approaches, particularly for patients facing a terminal illness prognosis of six months or less.
Understanding the Patient’s Question: When Will I Die?
Navigating the tender journey of hospice care, Compassion Crossing offers guidance on addressing the pivotal question of “when?”—a beacon for caregivers seeking solace and understanding in life’s final chapter.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A Life-Threatening Condition for Hospice Patients
The purpose of this article is to provide you with some information and guidance about AAAs and how they can be managed in hospice patients.
Considerations of Care — Related and Unrelated Diagnoses for a Terminally ill Patient Receiving Hospice Services
Explore the complexities of hospice care for terminally ill patients with multiple diagnoses. Learn how to distinguish between related and unrelated conditions, understand Medicare coverage, and navigate the challenges of providing comprehensive care while adhering to hospice regulations and ethical standards.
Caring for Your Loved One with Dementia: Promoting Quality of Life
Dementia gets worse over time, and as caregivers, we want to support our loved ones through every stage. In the severe stages of dementia, a person's body may begin to fail significantly. Here are seven ways to promote their quality of life during this challenging time.
Identifying Patients Who May Benefit from Hospice Care: A Visual Observation Guide for Personal Care Facilities
Identifying when a patient may benefit from hospice care is a critical yet often challenging task. For caregivers, including Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and Medical Technicians (Med Techs), visual observation can be a powerful tool for recognizing signs that suggest a hospice referral might be appropriate.
This guide is tailored to assist caregivers in personal care facilities in identifying these signs through visual observation methods, helping provide compassionate and timely end-of-life care.
Understanding Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and What to Expect: A Guide for Families
Discover the essentials of ALS, from its symptoms and progression to treatment options and support strategies. This comprehensive guide empowers families facing an ALS diagnosis with knowledge and practical advice, helping them navigate the challenges and provide the best care for their loved ones.
Helping Your Loved One Transition to Memory Care with Compassion
Memory care admission can be a challenging journey, especially when a family member is grappling with dementia. This transition demands logistical considerations and a deep understanding of the emotional and psychological aspects. As an experienced hospice nurse, I've encountered numerous families navigating this path, and here's a guide to compassionately help your loved one with dementia transition to a memory care unit.
Understanding End-Stage Stroke: A Guide for Families
Receiving news that a loved one has reached the end-stage of a stroke can be overwhelming and emotionally challenging. As an experienced hospice nurse with years of experience, I understand how crucial it is for families to have accurate information about what to expect during this journey. In this article, we will explore the changes that may occur in a loved one with end-stage stroke and how you can best care for them throughout this process.
Repositioning Dementia Patients Who Have Lost Trunk Control: A Guide for Caregivers
If you are a caregiver for someone with dementia who has lost trunk control, you may wonder how you can help them. Repositioning is one way you can help. Repositioning means moving or turning the person to a different position. It can help improve the person’s comfort, skin health, and blood flow. It can also prevent or treat pressure ulcers, contractures, falls, and infections.
In this article, we will share some tips for repositioning dementia patients who have lost trunk control. These tips are based on the latest research and best practices. We hope these tips will help you provide better care for your loved one.
Understanding Changes in Palliative Performance Scale in the Last Six Months of Life
Explore the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) and its crucial role in end-of-life care. Learn how this tool helps hospice professionals assess patient decline, predict life expectancy, and provide tailored care. Understand the significance of PPS changes in the final six months and how they guide compassionate care decisions.
Why Saying Goodbye to Your Dying Loved One Matters
Losing a loved one to a terminal illness is an incredibly challenging experience. It's a journey filled with emotions, uncertainties, and the need for profound empathy. One crucial aspect of this journey is saying goodbye to your dying loved one and permitting them to pass peacefully. In this article, we'll explore the significance of these acts, which bring comfort to the terminally ill and aid in the grieving process for those left behind. We'll also share three case studies to illustrate the importance of these actions.
Four Case Studies About External Oxygen on Hospice
It is common for family members and caregivers who are not trained in end-of-life topics to be concerned about their loved one's oxygen concentration (SpO2 and sometimes also abbreviated SPaO2) reading from a pulse oximeter. Suppose their loved one refuses external oxygen or takes off the external oxygen. In that case, this often causes distress to the family and caregivers because they are focused on the numbers vs. the patients themselves. Hospice is about patient-centered care, and I would like to present four case studies to demonstrate how hospice manages this situation with compassion.
How to Respond to a Dementia Patient Asking About a Deceased Family Member
When a dementia patient inquiries about a family member who has passed away but still believes them to be alive, it's essential to respond with empathy and understanding. Here are some tips on how to handle such situations with compassion and sensitivity:
The Benefits of Deprescribing Medications in Hospice: A Guide for Patients, Families, and Hospice Nurses
I know how important it is to provide comfort and support during this challenging journey. One aspect of hospice care that often raises concerns is deprescribing medications. In this article, we'll explore what deprescribing is and why it can benefit patients nearing the end of life.
Managing Terminal Restlessness
Losing a loved one is an incredibly challenging experience, and witnessing changes in their behavior and well-being can be distressing. As a hospice nurse, I've supported many families and caregivers through this grim time. One common symptom that may arise towards the end of life is restlessness. In this article, I will explain the different types of restlessness and offer guidance on how to manage them. Understanding these distinctions can provide valuable insights into your loved one's condition and help you navigate the final stages of their life with compassion and care.
Documenting Observational Signs of Discomfort: A Guide for Hospice Nurses and Families
As a hospice nurse, I understand the importance of documenting observational signs of discomfort in terminally ill patients. This guide covers recognizing physical and behavioral cues indicating discomfort, even if patients don't express it. It also highlights the benefits of journaling for families and nurses, with tips for effective documentation to enhance patient comfort and care.
Restoring Taste After Radiation Therapy to the Face and Neck
Radiation therapy is a common treatment for head and neck cancers, but it can lead to the loss of taste, also known as dysgeusia, in some patients. This can be a distressing side effect, but there are steps that patients and caregivers can take to help restore the patient's sense of taste as quickly as possible, with minimal risk. While there is no guaranteed way to restore taste, these tips and strategies may help patients regain some of their enjoyment of food and drink.
Minimizing Dementia Progression in Loved Ones: Beyond Medications
Dementia is a progressive disease that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. While there is no cure for dementia, there are ways to minimize its progression and improve the quality of life for those living with the disease. Here are some activities to do, activities to avoid, dietary changes to make, and activities to perform to minimize the progression of dementia.
Statins Increase the Risk of Dementia or Worsening Dementia
Pharmaceutical advertisements often highlight the benefits of a particular drug, including its ability to reduce the risk of various health conditions. However, the actual risk reduction these drugs provide may differ from what is portrayed in the advertisements. It is the opinion of the author that if cardiologists and other providers told their patients the absolute risk reduction of statins is 0.8% for all-cause mortality, 1.3% for myocardial infarction and 0.4% for stroke and the side effects of going on a statin include dementia, worsening dementia, confusion, muscle problems, such as aches, pains, weakness, muscle breakdown, falls, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, would you or anyone else ever agree to take a statin?
How to Use the Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia Scale (PAINAD) to Determine Discomfort in Your Loved One with Dementia
If you have a loved one with dementia, it can be difficult to know if they are in pain or discomfort. The Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia Scale (PAINAD) is a tool that can help you determine if your loved one is uncomfortable. The Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia Scale (PAINAD) is different from other pain assessment tools for people with dementia in several ways:
Understanding Functional Decline in the Natural Dying Process
Explore the journey of functional decline in the natural dying process. This article provides insight for caregivers and families, emphasizing the importance of documenting changes to enhance care and decision-making in life’s final chapter.
Understanding the Decline of Terminally Ill Loved Ones: Medications vs. Disease Processes
When a loved one is terminally ill, it can be a perplexing and emotional journey. Understanding the root cause of their declining health becomes paramount. It's a complex puzzle where family members often grapple with questions: Are the symptoms a result of medications prescribed, or are they intrinsic to the terminal disease? This article delves into the critical distinctions between medication side effects and the natural progression of terminal illnesses, offering insights to empower families and caregivers in making informed decisions about their loved one's care.