Caregiver Survey

After reading Surviving the Applewhite’s by Stephanie S. Tolan, I have learned that Jake Semple is a dynamic character. At the beginning of the book, the character is (confused ); eventually, the character becomes respectful and helpful. These character traits were observed through Jake’s actions, dialogue, relationships, choices, and problems.

Death is an experience that we will all have to encounter at some stage in life, but for those with elderly parents or relatives, the experience becomes more real. “The experience of dying not only affects the person who is dying but also caregivers, family members, and friends who are left behind” (Osterbur, 2015, p. 102 ) and I can associate with that. My maternal grandmother suffered a major stroke and was later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  She died in the hospital 2 years ago. Unfortunately, she was not a recipient of hospice care and the task of caring for her was done at home with the help of a hired aide and family members. Novak (2012), explains that many are faced with the dilemma of institutional death or at home and the decision to prolong care or end treatment can be burdensome (p. 411). It was an uphill battle and emotionally draining for my mom and

Colonial times in America expressed strong religious beliefs. Many were devoted to God and those who weren’t would feel a pressure to. In order to persuade the public into committing to God, speakers would use pathos to impose the fear of God in the individual. To appeal to the community’s fears, Edwards would often exemplify how one’s life hangs in the hands of God, “[God] holds you over the pit hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you and is dreadfully provoked.” (Edwards 50-51). The rhetorical impact of using such metaphor provides the individual a chance to envision his irrelevance, as an inferior creature, in God’s agenda. The life of a sinner is in severe danger, thus frightening the public

“Hospice home health care encompasses the assistance of physicians, nurses, personal care assistants, counselors, therapists, chaplains, social workers, and trained volunteers. Note, each home health caregiver plays a unique and important role in the patient’s care. Specifically, each home health caregiver provides care in his or her area of expertise. In essence, home health hospice targets as many facets possible in terms of the patient’s care. After all, each home health caregiver wants to relieve and/or minimize pain as much as possible so that the patient can be comfortable. Moreover, home health hospice care managers provide the patient, as well as the family, with a care plan that lists the specific duties, work days, and hours of the each home health caregiver; this also includes contact information. In other words, continuity is ensured via the constant communication.” (Advantage, 2011)

The Canadian government has implemented measures to increase the availability of in home care givers in Canada. The laws that have been created have allowed for many people to become fully pledged Canadian citizens. Many of the people coming into Canada to fill in in house care givers vacancies have been predominantly Pilipino women. These women are given the promise of become a Canadian citizen. After an extensive and costly application process these women from the Philippines are placed in the homes of their employer. The migrant work must live within the employers home for a period no shorter than two years, and must maintain only one employer in the two year waiting .l period. Only once the two year commitment is fulfilled is the migrant worker allowed to apply to Canadian citizenship. Many of these workers come to canada with the promise of have social upwards mobility through the program. However, although the program sounds promising the reality of the program is to

According to Milne et al. (1993), helping carers to develop and improve their ability to cope is one of the most useful of all interventions. To do this effectively, however, requires a comprehensive and individualised assessment of the type of stresses carers face, the coping efforts they employ and how successful these are perceived to be (Carers UK 2016). Although a number of general coping indices exist which look broadly at life stresses, it is recognised that these are of limited use in helping identify the specific stresses that carers face (Hinriden and Niedireche

Death is inevitable. It is one of the only certainties in life. Regardless, people are often uncomfortable discussing death. Nyatanga (2016) posits that the idea of no longer existing increases anxiety and emotional distress in relation to one’s mortality. Because of the difficulty in level of care for end-of-life patients, the patient and the family often need professional assistance for physical and emotional care. Many family caregivers are not professionally trained in medicine, and this is where hospice comes into play. Hospice aims to meet the holistic needs of both the patient and the patient’s family through treatment plans, education, and advocacy. There is a duality of care to the treatment provided by hospice staff in that they do not attempt to separate the patient’s care from the family’s care. Leming and Dickinson (2011) support that hospice, unlike other clinical fields, focuses on the patient and the family together instead of seeing the patient independent of the family. Many times in hospitals, the medical team focuses solely on the goal of returning the patient back to health in order for them to return to their normal lives. They do not take into account the psychological and spiritual components of the patient’s journey and the journey that the family must take as well. For treatment of the patient, Leming and Dickinson agree that hospice does not attempt to cure patients, and instead concentrates solely

Dying due to an incurable illness can be devastating With responsibility of caretaking falling chiefly on the patient’s family. While dealing with the normal every day activities that families encounter, becoming a primary caregiver to the terminally ill is an emotional as well as financial burden. The ill person usually lives in the house of a family member, which forces the family to witness the person dying every day. Having to watch a person suffer in your own home is depressing to even the strongest of people and knowing there is nothing that can be done to stop their pain makes things that much worse. Studies have shown that people who receive a terminal illness diagnosis become depressed and develop anxiety. Because of the mood disorders that can

The three articles were most relevant to the topic and explored the implications that family involvement has during end-of-life in long term care from the family perspective. The three recurrent themes that family involvement has during EOL in long term care are: improved caregiver advocacy and improved quality of end-of-life care for patients achieved through improved communication.

What was once believed to be a form of neglect has resulted in a change in practice with the idea that doing less is more. Culture is an important factor in how care is rendered and thus, the limitations of palliative and hospice care lie within the desires of the family and patients. A thorough understanding of our surrounding demographics helps to ensure a seamless approach to providing care without bias or imposition of ones beliefs. However, just as with all things, providing care for the sick and comforting the dying should be rendered in moderation as to prevent the effects of burn out. Likewise, the same effects occur in the caregivers who sacrifice their responsibilities in order to care for their love ones. Finally, and with some closing thoughts, the writer wishes to express with gratitude the benefit of having taken this course to better understand oneself and others in the realm of healthcare. The lessons learned throughout have expanded this writer's knowledge and understanding of the human desire to make a connection through communication, emotion, compassion, and spiritually - the platform from which this writer wishes to continue seeking further knowledge and

Caregivers who report caring for a loved one in an at-home environment tend to show more symptoms of depression, and fall into a poorer state of physical and mental health. Depending on the relationship status of the caregiver and the elder with dementia, fewer symptoms of depression may result than expected due to reduction of guilt, resentment, or burden towards the situation. In addition, experiencing pleasant activities on a daily basis boosts the caregiver's and the patient's mood, causing more satisfaction at the end of the day. Implementing a daily routine filled with physical activities, activities promoting cognitive functioning, and other mood-boosting activities guide the individual to engage with his or her community. Although these tasks may become harder to complete in later stages of dementia, it is crucial for maintenance of cognitive functioning along with higher levels of happiness.

Eighty percent of senior care is provided by family members. While this is a beautiful statistic that shows family unity, the American Psychiatric Association notes that this care comes at a terrible cost for caregivers. "Between 40 to 70 percent of caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression, with approximately one-half of these caregivers meeting the diagnostic criteria for major depression." Additionally, "caregivers report increased physical ailments as compared to non-caregivers, that include, but are not limited to, chronic pain such as headaches and backaches. Over time, caregiving may erode one's subjective experience of health."

In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores the virtues as necessities to be happy. A virtuous person is a person devoted to virtuous actions and who derives the pleasure of behaving with virtue. Aristotle distinguishes two types of human virtue, intellectual and moral. The virtues of thought and learning and the inclusion of virtues such as wisdom and prudence; The virtues of the character include bravery and charity, which are acquired by habituation and requiring external products to develop. As a result, not all people can gain the green character because not all people possess the goods and resources necessary to develop this provision. Moreover, all virtuous persons are not happy: virtue is a condition of happiness. In this article I will construct a brief exposition of these concepts, reconstruct the process of acquiring virtues and demonstrate that mere light reality is not enough to happiness.

The results of this study show that it can be beneficial for caregivers to receive supportive care to help them cope with their own emotions in order to properly care for their patients. When caregivers are in a positive state of mind they are more able to care for their patients; therefore, there are benefits for both the patient and the caregiver if the caregiver receives mental health treatments. Caregivers should receive mental health treatments to ensure that they are able to give their patients the best quality of care possible to maintain their quality of

The case study based on the palliative patient Mrs. Mavis looks at issues both the family and the patient are dealing with in regards to the end of life treatment Mrs. Mavis is receiving. Mrs. Mavis is a palliative patient, currently unconscious, who is dying and only wants comfort measures within her nursing care. This was made clear through her advanced care directive, which was made weeks before beginning to receive her end of life care. Mrs. Mavis’ comfort measures include pain relief, hygiene and keeping her comfortable. Mrs. Mavis’ family want her to have fluids and medications to help improve her health. They also want oxygen and pain relief to help with her breathing. Issues such as educating and supporting the family, pain management, the effectiveness of having an advanced care directive and pain assessment will be evaluated to determine the best effective interventions for Mrs. Mavis and her families care. Interventions that will be discussed through-out this essay include the use of analgesia medication, the use of subcutaneous injections and syringe drivers, emotional support for the family, effective communication, educating the family on Mrs. Mavis’ wishes and the importance of having an advanced care directive. These interventions will be evaluated to ensure they are the best practice for Mrs. Mavis’ care.