Hospice caregiver support is an essential part of caregiving because 80% of all caregiving is provided by relatives and friends who have little or no experience. However, lack of experience doesn’t mean a lack of good, quality care! Caregiving is a selfless and generous thing to do. It can be rewarding – and it can be exhausting.
Caring for a loved one with a serious illness is one of the most important roles you’ll play. Below are some of the duties you can expect as a hospice caregiver, plus a hospice caregiver guide with tips for caring for yourself as you care for your loved one.
Your hospice caregiver duties include many responsibilities, from buying groceries and cooking meals, to arranging medical appointments and handling finances, to providing hands-on care such as bathing and changing bed linens.
These countless skills, combined with the love and commitment of family and friends, can produce the very best results for the comfort of your loved one. Continue reading our hospice caregiver guide below for more information about the physical duties you’ll perform as a caregiver.
Cleaning your loved one’s mouth is important for comfort also. Some medicines and diseases leave the mouth dry and/or sore. Routine care will help to prevent infection and irritation.
Additional Reading: What can a hospice patient eat and drink?
The thought of making a bed, with your loved one in it, can be overwhelming. Utilizing the hospital bed will make this task easier. Plus, your hospice nurse will take the time to provide hospice caregiver support. He or she will show you how to do this important task.
Bathing is a very personal function. You want to give your loved one as much privacy and dignity as possible by shutting the door or the shades, and keeping all of the body covered except for the section you are washing. The best time to give a bed bath is when your loved one wants to, and about an hour after he or she has taken pain medication.
You should make sure the skin remains clean and dry, examine the skin daily, and make sure the bed linens remain dry and free of wrinkles. Remember, skin is one of the biggest organs on the body and it has numerous purposes so it needs to be taken care of. Your hospice nurse will take the time to provide caregiver guidance about skin care.
Hospice caregiver stress is the emotional and physical strain from caregiving for your loved one. As a hospice caregiver you are providing support and help almost all day. This leaves little time for work, other family members or friends.
As a caregiver, you may be so focused on your loved one that you don’t realize your own health and well-being are suffering. Use this guide to identify signs of hospice caregiver stress:
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It’s important to maintain your health and well-being when you’re caregiving for someone. Too much stress, especially over a long time, can harm your health. Here are some tips to managing stress and maintaining your health:
For more information on hospice caregiver duties, please contact Samaritan at (800) 229-8183 or fill out this online form.