As a caregiver to a family member suffering from a life-limiting illness, you may be feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to provide the best possible care. It can be a physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing experience, and it’s important to remember that it’s okay to seek help and support. Helderberg Hospice can provide a range of services to support you as a caregiver and make the caregiving experience a little easier.
Hospice care is a type of care that focuses on the quality of life for individuals who are diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. Hospice care can be provided in a variety of settings, including the patient’s home, a hospice in-patient centre, or a nursing home. Hospice care is provided by an inter-disciplinary team of professionals, including medical doctors, professional nurses, social workers, allied healthcare workers, chaplains, and trained volunteers.
Medical Care
One of the main ways that Helderberg Hospice can support you as a caregiver is by providing medical care, including pain and symptom management, for your loved one. This can involve administering medications, performing wound care, and developing care plans that promote the activities of daily living and self-care. Our hospice team can also help you understand your loved one’s condition and provide guidance on how to best manage their symptoms. In addition to our core clinical teams, Helderberg Hospice also relies on volunteers in the delivery of certain services in the continuum of care.
Emotional and Spiritual Support
In addition to medical care, Helderberg Hospice can also provide psychosocial and emotional support for both you and your loved one. Our hospice team can connect you with resources such as counselling and spiritual guidance to help you cope with the challenges of caregiving for a terminally ill person. We also facilitate spiritual support for patients and their loved ones, helping them to feel more at peace while navigating a terminal illness diagnosis.
Caregiver Support
Another important aspect of hospice care is the support we provide for you as a caregiver. Caring for a terminally ill family member can be a physically and emotionally draining experience, and it’s important to take care of yourself as well. Through our inter-disciplinary team and advanced care planning, Helderberg Hospice is able to provide respite care, which enables caregivers to take a break from caregiving, and have some time to rest and recharge. The hospice team can also provide support and guidance on how to care for yourself and manage your own stress and emotions.
One of the key benefits of Helderberg Hospice care is that, depending on their choices, it allows your loved one to spend their final days in the comfort of their own home, surrounded by loved ones, as opposed to being admitted to an in-patient care centre. If your loved one is receiving hospice care at home, in certain cases our hospice team can provide mobility equipment such as a hospital bed, crutches, commodes or walkers, to make the home environment more comfortable. They can also provide guidance on how to make any necessary home modifications, such as installing a wheelchair ramp or making the bathroom more accessible.
If you are considering hospice care for your loved one, it’s important to discuss your options with your loved one, their general practitioner (GP), and our hospice team. Together, you can determine the best course of action and develop a plan of care that meets your loved one’s needs.
As a caregiver, it’s natural to want to do everything you can to provide the best care possible for your loved one. Helderberg Hospice can provide support and guidance to help make the caregiving experience a little easier and ensure that your loved one is comfortable and at peace during their final days. To contact our clinical team to discuss a referral for Helderberg Hospice care, please contact our Head of Nursing Services, Sr. Thandi Sililo via e-mail: nursing@helderberghospice.org.za or call her on 021 852 4608