Have you ever thought about the level of stress and anxiety someone is carrying when taking care of a loved one in the last days of their life? Or have you faced this situation already?
Sadly, only few fortunate Canadians with life-limiting illnesses have access to professional end of life care and support. The rest are left in the hands of their family or friends who usually don’t have the experience, knowledge or time to confidently handle their care. When our loved ones need us, somehow, we deal with the problems and cope with the limitations, because when it is about someone we love, our heart guides us.
Nevertheless, it does not mean we don’t struggle, it does not mean we don’t pass through difficulties, and it does not mean we don’t suffer. Think about a day when a loved one is experiencing distress and we do what we can to alleviate the pain, but nothing works. We suffer just as much as our dearest one does - we experience pain and anxiety. A 2006 Health Canada survey found that 41 percent of Canadians who cared for a dying friend or relative reported negative effects on their mental health; 38 percent reported negative effects on their physical health.
As part of your community, Home Hospice Association works in collaboration with others, including caregivers, to help people peacefully and tranquilly die wherever they call home.
All the stress and challenges of the last few months means we need you more than ever. We have found ourselves adding new services and conceiving of ways to offer compassionate care. This all adds to our significant funding need. Providing grief and bereavement support to those who have lost someone during this pandemic as well as to those professionals out in all fields of caregiving is a top priority. As well, we find ourselves in the role of finding ways to bring people to the bedside when the challenges of travel and visiting policies are keeping people away from their loved ones.
Join our Moonlit Memory Walk and get actively involved in this fundraising campaign in order to allow each of us to receive dignified, compassionate end of life care - not if our time comes, but when our time comes.