Providing care for a loved one who has a chronic or terminal illness is a brave and selfless task. Regardless of how long you’ve cared for your loved one, caregiving can leave you physically, mentally and emotionally drained. Fatigue can compound if you have other significant responsibilities, like a full or part-time job or you have children to look after. 

Many Americans have become makeshift caregivers at one point or another within the last 12 months to either adults or children with special needs. According to the “Caregiving in the United States 2020” overview from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, about 21% of Americans had been unpaid caregivers bringing the estimated total up to 53 million. This is a significant increase from the 43.5 million we referenced in our 2017 blog, “3 Ways to Avoid Caregiver Resentment.”

Many people become caregivers without time to prepare. A rapid transition can make it challenging to deal with the fatigue that comes with caregiving, which can make it difficult to give your loved one the best care possible.

If you are beginning to feel burnout or fatigue, don’t feel like you have to carry this responsibility alone. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness but rather a sign of care that you want what’s best for your loved one. Keep reading to see how caregiver support services from an excellent hospice care provider can help your loved one.

What Are Caregiver Support Services?

Caregiver support services are the services offered by a hospice to help you care for your loved one. These services differ depending on the situation but usually, involve all members of the hospice team. Caregiver support gives you time to take care of yourself.

What Do Caregiver Services Include?

Caregiver support services cover a variety of needs for you and your loved one.

Here are some of the services offered:

• Homemaker and daily living assistance help the patient with basic things around the house or errands that you perform on a regular basis. Some of the things they help with include:

• • Laundry 

• • Picking up groceries

• • Assisting with the patient’s personal tasks like walking around the house, getting dressed, basic hygiene, etc.

• Basic companionship from a volunteer or hospice aid gives you a chance to take a break from the demands of watching after your loved one. Our team wants to give your loved one 

• Medical support is delivered straight to your loved one from a member of the hospice care team. This takes the pressure of symptom management off of your shoulders. 
• Spiritual and emotional support allows the patient to express feelings they have surrounding their illness. This isn’t just for hospice patients though, caregivers and family members can take advantage of this service to talk through their emotions. Having an outlet for these feelings and thoughts helps everyone involved take care of the patient.

Why Are Caregiver Services Important to Your Loved One’s End of Life Experience?

Fatigue and emotional drain can affect your ability to be the best you can be when it comes to taking care of your loved one. 

As hard as you work, you don’t want to feel resentment towards a person you care about. They can feel it as much as you can when you are tired.  Caregiver services help your loved one to receive the best care possible. Trained aids and volunteers can give you a few hours to rest, allowing you to come back, refreshed, and ready to help your loved one through their day.

If you are looking for a hospice care provider to help your loved one in the last chapter of their life, contact us at Crown Hospice today. With locations in Cape Girardeau, MO and Poplar Bluff, MO, we’re here to serve you and your loved one.