Advance care planning means planning ahead for how you want to be treated if you are very ill or near death.Sometimes when people are in an accident or have an illness that will cause them to die they are not able to talk or to let others know how they feel.Texas law allows you to tell your doctor how you want to be treated by using an Advance Directive.
How do you initiate a discussion about Advance Care Planning with your loved one?
You might consider opening your conversation with one of the following questions.
“I know you can manage on your own, but I’m here if you need me.Have you two thought about where you’d like to live if you needed more help?”
“Have you thought about what you would do in an emergency?”
“Could you give me the name and phone numbers of your (lawyer, accountant, or others that might help manage their affairs) in case there is an emergency?”
“Dad, since Mom pays the bills and you prepare the taxes, do you know each other’s filing systems?”“I’d like to know, too, since Mom might need help if anything happens to you.”
“Mom, I have recently been looking over my life insurance policies and will and made sure they are filed in a safe place.”Have you and Dad done this?”
“I wanted to talk with you about the future while you are both healthy.You always took good care of me.Someday it might be my turn to take care of you, and I want to know what’s important to you.”
Who is a caregiver?
Caregiver in this presentation is defined as a family member, friend, neighbor, partner, or other unpaid person who stands by those they love as they face chronic illness, disability or just the needs of typical aging.These people provide essential, but unpaid services to keep their loved ones safe, and as healthy as possible.The majority of these caregivers work as well.
Caregiving in Texas
In Texas alone there are approximately 2,101,949 known caregivers making it the state with the second highest number of caregivers.
These caregivers spend 2,252 MILLION hours caring for their loved ones annually.
That means that each of these caregivers spends approximately 1,071 hours per year, 89 hours per month, 20 hours per week, and 3 hours per day caring for a loved one.
Caregiving is a stressful job. So what can a caregiver do to keep themselves healthy and maintain some sense of control in their lives?
….. BUILD a SUPPORT AND CARE TEAM.
How does a Caregiver START to build a support Team?
Admit that having help will make a difference in your life and the life of your loved one
Ask forhelp – this is a sign of strength and not of weakness
Accept help – be a gracious receiver
Define the help you need
“What can I do to help”?Be ready to answer!
Create a list of tasks that need to be done in any given week
Group the tasks into categories
Write down your caregiving worries
Share your list with someone you trust
The Task List
Transportation to doctor appointments
Mow the lawn
Meal preparation
Medical or Insurance forms that need to be completed
Housekeeping
Laundry
Errands – Pick up the cleaning, prescriptions
Shopping
Research the internet for resources and information
Home and Car repairs
Write letters, email friends
Return phone calls
Help with emergency preparedness supplies or plan
Who do I ask?
Family
Friends
Neighbors
Church or Synagogue Members
Community Organizations
You may have a hard time asking for help. . .
But, remember you may never get the support you need if you don’t ask.
And. . . others really want to be of service, they just need a little direction.
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