Caregiver Resources
Caring for someone who has a serious illness or disability can be a rewarding experience, but it may also feel overwhelming. It’s common for family members to help manage the medical, social, and domestic needs of an elderly person. It’s also common for those under 65 to have an accident or serious illness, making them less able and requiring help. All these responsibilities within any family can be challenging, and we encourage people to ask for help.
Caregiver resources encompass a broad range of tools, information, and support services designed to assist those who provide care to individuals with varying needs. These resources can include educational materials, training programs, support groups, online communities, financial assistance, and respite care options. The primary aim of these resources is to equip caregivers with the knowledge and skills they need to deliver optimal care, while also addressing their own emotional well-being, mental health and personal care. Recognizing the immense challenges faced by family caregivers, many organizations and communities offer caregiver support to help lighten their burden and enhance the overall caregiving experience.
How do we help caregivers?
Partners In Care offers a wide range of supportive services for those who have lost their independence due to health concerns. We’re also here to provide support for their caregivers and family members. It’s important to remember that caregivers are not alone in managing all the medical needs of their loved one.
Our Home Health and Hospice team offers a breadth of services not found anywhere else in Central Oregon. Our Transitions team can provide free resources, while our Volunteers can provide a break from the day-to-day caregiving duties. Counselors are available for social and spiritual needs and emotional support. We surround our hospice patients with a specialized approach to care based on their unique needs, taking into consideration the values and preferences of the family. Your loved one’s quality of life will be the focus of our care, but your family caregiving needs will also be supported.
Partners In Care also offers grief support for caregivers. These caregivers, deeply entrenched in the day-to-day realities of their loved one’s serious illness or final journey, often grapple with intense emotions ranging from sadness and denial to anticipatory grief. Tailored grief support, which includes counseling, peer-led support groups, and educational resources on mourning and coping, offers family caregivers a safe space to express their feelings, share their experiences, and learn strategies to navigate their grief. Such support acknowledges the profound impact of witnessing a loved one’s decline and helps family caregivers find a path towards healing and acceptance after their loved one’s passing.
As a caregiver, where do I learn more?
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with all the services offered by Partners In Care. We invite caregivers to call us and find out how we can offer a personalized program of emotional and social support. Our friendly team will listen to your concerns and help guide you toward the right solution and provide additional resources, based on your unique situation.
Community Resources for Caregivers
Community resources for caregivers offer access to essential support, information, and tools to those attending to the needs of others. Caregiver education can include local support groups, respite care services, and educational programs tailored to specific caregiving challenges. Tapping into these support networks, resource groups and caregiver groups can alleviate caregiver stress, foster connections with fellow caregivers, and enhance the overall quality of care provided.
Support networks, resource groups, caregiver groups
Partners In Care Workshops & Classes
Podcast
How could working at a hospice in Bend, Oregon shape the way you live your life?
Join Lisa Hurley and Jason Medina on Life’s Too Short as they hold conversations with end-of-life professionals, discussing death, dying, and the pursuit of a fulfilling life – mixed with a generous dose of coffee and levity.
Educational Resources
Books
The Four Things That Matter Most: A Book About Living
A leader in palliative care, Dr. Byock reviews the important communications before death and during our lives: Please forgive me,” “I forgive you,” “Thank you,” and “I love you.” A well-written book that helps in resolving relationships during the dying process and while living.
Being With Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death
A Buddhist teacher who has worked with dying for years shares her experience and wisdom about being with dying and facing our own mortality. An excellent book in demonstrating how each person faces end of life in his or her own way.
Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs and Communications of the Dying
A guide to help those accompanying someone dying: know how to help, what to do, what to say and what to look for. Written by two hospice nurses and told through stories of patients and families.
The Grace in Dying: A Message of Hope, Comfort and Spiritual Transformation
A personal favorite of the Partners In Care staff about the potential spiritual transformation in the dying process.