What is Comfort Care?
Comfort care means COMFORT, not cure. Our scientific and medical cultures are trained and geared toward cure, treatment, and results. It is often difficult to move from this modality into comfort care only.
Such things as lab work, blood sugar reading, monitors, antibiotics, artificial nutrition, food and water, meds, continued chemotherapy, insulin and other result and data gathering procedures may need to be questioned as the dying process progresses. We must ask what will truly comfort the dying person, both physically and emotionally and let this guide our actions.
Caring, nurturing and comfort can most often be accomplished without medical procedures or even food and water in most instances. However, if these things comfort a dying loved one it may be beneficial to continue them. Check frequently with the person for any desire for change or requests to discontinue any of these measures.
Some hospitals and nursing homes have comfort care units. Even in these units families and caregivers are encouraged to continue to ask what will truly be of comfort. We encourage families and care givers to continue acting as advocates for their loved one, to ensure that their needs and wishes are being met and respected.
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This information is from a new book by Judy H. Wright and Jane Franz on the loss of a loved one. Watch the website and blog for more information. We welcome your input and comments.
Showing posts with label loss of loved ones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label loss of loved ones. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Is this a sad season for you?
Holidays are very emotional and bring up all sorts of feelings. Mingled in with the joy of seeing small children's eyes light up, are the sad and hurtful memories of lost ones. We miss them and wish they were back in our lives.
Everyone feels blue at times and it is "episodic" or once in a while. When to be concerned is when it turns into a "chronic" or ongoing feeling of despair.
Our family has a history of depression and so we must be on the alert if the emotions are in a downward spiral. If the saddness lasts more than a couple of weeks without experiencing happy times, then we know to use methods that have worked in the past.
Everyone feels blue at times and it is "episodic" or once in a while. When to be concerned is when it turns into a "chronic" or ongoing feeling of despair.
Our family has a history of depression and so we must be on the alert if the emotions are in a downward spiral. If the saddness lasts more than a couple of weeks without experiencing happy times, then we know to use methods that have worked in the past.
- Sunshine or a light box
- Journaling our blessings
- Talking to family members or friends and listening to their rational advice
- Excercise, even walking gets the blood moving and the blues running
- See a councelour, who has been effective in the past
- See a physician for medical assistance to jump start the journey back.
Good luck and God bless. This is a stressful time and you will make it. I believe in you.
Judy H. Wright aka Auntie Artichoke
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