First, realize you will not do everything right, in the beginning very little right. Each person is different and has different needs. What works for someone else will not work for you.
Of primary importance, realize you are human and mistakes will be made. It is a huge learning curve. Always remember that you, first and foremost, need to take care of yourself or you will not have anything to give to anyone else.
Be patient with yourself, it will get easier, your actions will become more automatic as you learn what will work.
MaryBrown, Hospice is covered by Medicare, one of the few things completely covered, and it's why they are such sticklers for getting someone referred by MD and then interviewed Hospice and Family. You are probably in a good place to learn about caring, and there is more research to be done online. Be certain to watch Teepa Snow's videos on YouTube. They are great for newcomers, and cover just about every subject there is. Be sure to go up to the blue line on AgingCare and click on Care Topics. There will be a lot to keep you busy. Don't give yourself the burden of doing everything "right". No one here is that good, even after years of trying. And welcome. Come to us with specific questions and I would bet there will be SOMEone here with some answers. And again, welcome to forum. Look forward to your specific questions.
I guess it depends on what kind of caregiving you will be doing. One thing I bet most of us wished we'd known from the beginning is not to take on too much. Make sure you have help (paid for by the person being cared for). Make sure you take care of yourself. If grandma is at the end of her cancer battle, still be careful of taking on too much personally. When given a guess as to how long a person will survive, it is only a guess. Many people have taken care of someone who would not live more than 3 months which ended up being much longer, think 1.5 - 2 years. Handling intense end-of-life caregiving for 3 months is doable. Doing it for 18 months is not.
Perfection does not exist so you will not do everything right. Drop the bar of expectations back down into the human range. You can do your best but it a learn as you go type of job. When you have specific questions of how to deal with X, Y and Z, please post them here. There's very likely to be multiple people here that have dealt with whatever you have on your plate and can help you.
There is not much to go by in your profile other than you are caring for grandma with cancer. What other relatives are you caring for? And their conditions? I suppose the first things to ask are Do they want care and do they need care? And Can you care for them? and is it your responsibility to do so? YOU can not take care of everyone and care for yourself and your family if you have one.
If we are talking about grandma here .. What is the prognosis and what treatment is she getting? And the biggie..will treatments cure or help her or are they prolonging a life that has no quality? Hospice is a GREAT resource. You will get help, supplies, equipment. A nurse will come at least 1 time a week to check on her and order medications that are needed. (yes people can continue to take medications on Hospice, if it is not on their formulary you can continue to private pay for medications that Hospice will not cover) A CNA will come at least 2 times a week to bathe, dress, change bedding and order supplies. You can request a Volunteer that will help with a number of things. A Social Worker, Chaplain and other disciplines are also part of the Hospice Team.
Local Area Agency on Aging can help find help. Local Senior Centers are a wealth of information for agencies that can help with some things. If your relative is a Veteran the VA can be of help. Contact your local Veterans Assistance Commission. Have as much information as you can get so they can do the research to determine how much help your relative will qualify for. It could be a little or a LOT depending on where and when they served. And it is possible that you can get paid for caring for them.
More info on they type of help that you need will get you better answers that are more concise.
Of primary importance, realize you are human and mistakes will be made. It is a huge learning curve. Always remember that you, first and foremost, need to take care of yourself or you will not have anything to give to anyone else.
Be patient with yourself, it will get easier, your actions will become more automatic as you learn what will work.
You are probably in a good place to learn about caring, and there is more research to be done online. Be certain to watch Teepa Snow's videos on YouTube. They are great for newcomers, and cover just about every subject there is.
Be sure to go up to the blue line on AgingCare and click on Care Topics. There will be a lot to keep you busy.
Don't give yourself the burden of doing everything "right". No one here is that good, even after years of trying.
And welcome. Come to us with specific questions and I would bet there will be SOMEone here with some answers. And again, welcome to forum. Look forward to your specific questions.
Perfection does not exist so you will not do everything right. Drop the bar of expectations back down into the human range. You can do your best but it a learn as you go type of job. When you have specific questions of how to deal with X, Y and Z, please post them here. There's very likely to be multiple people here that have dealt with whatever you have on your plate and can help you.
What other relatives are you caring for? And their conditions?
I suppose the first things to ask are
Do they want care and do they need care?
And Can you care for them? and is it your responsibility to do so?
YOU can not take care of everyone and care for yourself and your family if you have one.
If we are talking about grandma here ..
What is the prognosis and what treatment is she getting? And the biggie..will treatments cure or help her or are they prolonging a life that has no quality?
Hospice is a GREAT resource.
You will get help, supplies, equipment. A nurse will come at least 1 time a week to check on her and order medications that are needed. (yes people can continue to take medications on Hospice, if it is not on their formulary you can continue to private pay for medications that Hospice will not cover)
A CNA will come at least 2 times a week to bathe, dress, change bedding and order supplies. You can request a Volunteer that will help with a number of things. A Social Worker, Chaplain and other disciplines are also part of the Hospice Team.
Local Area Agency on Aging can help find help.
Local Senior Centers are a wealth of information for agencies that can help with some things.
If your relative is a Veteran the VA can be of help. Contact your local Veterans Assistance Commission. Have as much information as you can get so they can do the research to determine how much help your relative will qualify for. It could be a little or a LOT depending on where and when they served. And it is possible that you can get paid for caring for them.
More info on they type of help that you need will get you better answers that are more concise.