Patients rely on the support and comfort provided by family during a hospital stay. Numerous studies have shown that family/friend caregivers at the bedside improve the quality and safety of care their loved one receives. Current nationwide pandemic-related policies restricting visitors jeopardizes optimal patient care at a time when hospitals are also struggling with acute…
“Compassion for others begins with kindness to ourselves.” Pema Chödrön Energy. Every informal family caregiver needs more of it because too often we are running on empty. Energy according to the dictionary is defined as “the strength and vitality required for sustained physical and mental activity”. Sustained physical and mental activity defines what day-to-day caregiving…
“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile” Thich Nhat Hanh Caring for a loved one is a mission from the heart, an act of love. It’s hard work but it’s also holy work. Family caregiving can be a source of physical, mental and emotional stress, but it also can give one…
Caregivers often exchange advice and tips about how to navigate the demands of caring for a loved one, but rarely about how to care for self. I know from my own experience that it’s hard to think about self-care or one’s own health because family caregiving, especially in an acute situation, can be an exhausting…
Another 3 a.m. I could hear my husband’s slow regular breathing. David had finally fallen asleep in the hospital bed which would be his home for several weeks. I, the sentinel, remained ever alert a few feet away in our bed. Watchful yet completely exhausted. Sleep had been elusive for both of us during his…
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