How Does Palliative Care Support Caregivers?
A new piece on GetPalliativeCare.org, a consumer-focused website produced by CAPC, offers three ways that palliative care can help the caregivers of seriously ill patients.
Caregiving for a seriously ill patient may include lifting, bathing, delivering meals, taking loved ones to doctor visits, handling difficult behaviors, and managing medications and family conflicts. But this level of care can result in lost work hours or lost jobs, high stress, and serious declines in physical and mental health. In fact, 1 of 5 caregivers reports a decline in the quality of their physical, emotional, and social well-being.
The three ways palliative care can help include educating a caregiver on how the illness may affect the patient down the road; equipping the caregiver with practical tools like how to help bathe, feed, or assist the patient in daily tasks; and helping alleviate caregiver stress and avoid burnout. The blog also features videos and podcasts featuring the perspectives of caregivers who, along with loved ones, are receiving palliative care. Click here to read the full piece.