Concerns of Hospice Patients Caregivers

Video Transcript

"What are the concerns of those who are caregivers for hospice patients? I'm Sandy Sunter, with The Hospice of the Florida Sun Coast. One of the beauties of receiving hospice care is that the hospice team not only cares for a patient, but for those who are providing care as well. That is the hospice way. The caregiver has many responsibilities and roles when they're taking care of a person at the end of life. Their concerns are; number one, that the patient be comfortable and that their symptoms be managed. They also want them to be happy; as happy as they can be certainly with an end stage illness, so oftentimes, what they try to do is to keep them cheered up and not always share what their true feelings are. And one of the things that we try to do through hospice is to get people to talk openly, and share, and talk about whatever kinds of feelings they have, regardless about what's happening at the current time. Caregivers are concerned about things such as finances, and what's going to happen after the person dies, and again, we provide support, and materials, and information. They're concerned about how am I going to know when he or she is at the end of life? And part of what we provide through our hospice services is information. We want our families to be well educated and prepared, so that they're not anxious about what eventually will happen with their patient. They want to know what will happen when the patient dies, and we want to reassure them that they, people will be there with them, and that they're there not by themselves, whether they're provided nurses or volunteers or friends; that people are going to be with them. And we prepare them with what they will see and what to expect, what they're going to smell. Then, the caregivers are wondering what's going to happen to me once I'm now alone? Under hospice care bereavement services are provided for thirteen months after the patient dies, so even the provider, services are provided after the patient is dead. Bereavement services are provided, and the family is continued to be cared for, so they are still not alone. I'm Sandy Sunter with The Hospice of the Florida Sun Coast"