I am having a hard time caring for my elder loved ones. What should I do?

Reach out for support. Do not try to be a superhero and do it all by yourself. You can burn yourself out, resulting in being of no assistance at all. There are many people who are living with chronic health conditions that require some form of assistance with daily living. There may be family, church, community volunteers etc. who are waiting to assist. You can also seek additional, professional assistance from a certified, licensed, and insured elder companion who can help you by caring for you

Typically, you may think a doula is there to provide assistance during childbirth. While there’s no denying the importance of this type of work, we believe there’s just as much need for assistance when one takes his or her final breath.  Here at You Are Not Alone Elder Care, we’re end-of-life doulas that are committed to helping the terminally ill face death with peace and comfort. Now, that may sound like an impossible task, but you’ll be amazed at what happens when you give someone the suppo

A lot of people hear the term “doula” and immediately think about childbirth and the person that advocates on behalf of the parents of a new life with the medical professionals. The thing is, doulas aren’t just there for the beginning of a life – they’re there for the end, too. End of life doulas are not medically trained, but they are trained to care for the physically, emotional and spiritual needs of a terminally ill person who needs support and guidance in their current circumstances. It

What does that mean? This quote is from the famous story, The Lion and the Mouse, wherein a small Mouse, caught by the Lion, is released rather than eaten, as a kindness. Later, the Mouse comes across the Lion, trapped in a net. The Mouse remembers the kindness done for him by the Lion, and chews through the ropes, freeing the Lion, and returning the kindness. The moral of the story is held that there is no one so lowly that they cannot be of some use, and that none should be scorned for their

People often feel awkward and ill at ease when faced with the opportunity for communication at the end of life, thus the overall theme for the articles in this special issue is the creation of more awareness and knowledge regarding the depth, breadth, and importance of current research exploring family communication at the end of life. This introductory essay attempts to accomplish the following: (1) discuss the importance of talk regarding death; (2) highlight the formative role of family inter

Family consultations are an opportunity to explore the client’s needs, family expectations and a starting point to understand and learn about the Aging or Death/Dying process. In addition, we offer such consultations to assist with resolving issues or conflicts within the family regarding the clients care. Having an Aging Life Care Professional facilitate the discussion helps to clarify the objectives, and allows all participants to have a voice in the process. An Aging Life Care Professional

Raising Awareness of the Benefits of Hospice and Palliative Care HPP Celebrates November’s National Hospice and Palliative Care Month Hospice is not a place but is high-quality care that enables patients and families to focus on living as fully as possible despite a life-limiting illness. Palliative care brings this holistic model of care to people earlier in the course of a serious illness. November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month and hospice and palliative care programs across t