Your loved one will become increasingly dependent on you to get their needs met. This requires you to take care of yourself. Not taking care of yourself can result in:
- Feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, depressed
- Ignoring your own health needs
- Burnout
How do I take care of myself?
Social support, connect with others
Palliative Care, connect with a team
Palliative care will be involved in the care of you and your loved one from the beginning of the process. Supportively learning about what is most important to your loved one and thinking through the end of life process that includes multiple avenues of support from spiritual considerations, respite care, and connecting with other available services.
The World Health Organization’s definition of palliative care:
- An approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness.
- Affirms life and regards dying as a normal process
- Is applicable early in the course of illness, in conjunction with other therapies that are intended to prolong life
- Integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care
- Provides relief from pain or other distressing symptoms
- Offers a support system to help the family cope during the patient‘s illness and in their own bereavement.
Northern Light Health Palliative Care can help guide your loved one and you through this process, provided services such as respite care support (someone to be in your home while the caregiver goes out), and connect you with other agencies to help with other supports.
Core care, connect with yourself