One of the most difficult realizations for those with loved ones fighting a serious illness is understanding that treatment is no longer working. No one wants to admit that it has become a losing battle against a serious illness. Many people are hesitant to call hospice for a loved one because they see it as “giving up.” In reality, contacting hospice is a choice that can lead to fewer worries and more meaningful moments during a serious illness or near the end of life.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7429131-moments-of-life-by-hospice/
AARP is announcing the winners of a unique contest that encourages filmmakers to tell the story of family caregiving through short films. The competition was launched as part of Ad Council and AARP’s National Caregiver Awareness Campaign to help reveal the hard work and dedication of the nation’s 40 million family caregivers. These stories focus on three family caregiving themes: The Changing Face of Caregiving, Roles Change, and Random Acts of Kindness for Caregivers. The winners share a $25,000 prize and the opportunity for their work to be featured on AARP and Ad Council web and social platforms.
“These three minute or shorter films really open up the world of family caregiving helping people to better understand the intense challenges as well as the deep personal rewards of caring for a loved one,” said Amy Goyer, AARP family and caregiving expert and author of the new award-winning book Juggling Life, Work, and Caregiving. “But more importantly, the stories show how much love is present in family caregiving, whether it comes from a family member, friend or even a stranger.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7607231-aarp-caregivers/
Long before it's time for hospice care, many people with serious illness can benefit from palliative care but don’t realize it. Sometimes referred to as “comfort care,” palliative care is a specialized approach to the treatment of patients with a serious or life-threatening illness. Palliative care has helped Deadra Gladden get her life back through symptom management and support from Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice, Marlton, N.J.
In May of 2014 Deadra, age 28, was in the hospital, feeling hopeless and in excruciating pain due to lupus, a disease she has been battling for over half her young life. Deadra's doctors told her family it was time to call hospice. But after consulting with a nurse from Samaritan Healthcare and Hospice, a palliative care team was brought in instead.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7429131-moments-of-life-by-hospice/
When a serious illness enters a family's life, there are many questions to ask and decisions to make. It is important to answer these questions quickly. The process can seem overwhelming. However, hospice care can be a wonderful resource for information about symptom management and comfort care. Hospice care professionals are available to help assess goals, pain management and care options during the decision-making process.
Are your symptoms minimal or moderate? Are these symptoms just starting to affect your life? If you want to continue treatment but also need comfort and symptom management, palliative care (often called comfort care) maybe an option. Palliative care is patient and family-centered care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing and treating suffering. Palliative care specialists address the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of patients and families, making sure they have access to all the information about the disease progression and the choices ahead. A patient can receive palliative care in conjunction with other treatments or therapies.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7429131-moments-of-life-by-hospice/
AARP’s ‘Random Acts of Kindness for Caregivers’ contest is underway. The contest encourages people of all ages to recognize and reward family caregivers in their lives in small but meaningful ways, especially during National Family Caregivers Month in November.
Many family caregivers spend 18 hours per week or more providing care like bathing, dressing, preparing meals, administering medications, driving to doctor visits, or paying bills. Sixty percent of caregivers are helping care for a loved one while holding down a job at the same time. ‘Random Acts of Kindness for Caregivers’ might be something as simple as doing a caregiver’s grocery shopping, taking their dog for a walk, or even cutting the lawn.
“I’ve been a family caregiver my entire adult life and I know that unexpected kindness can go a long way for a caregiver,” says AARP Family and Caregiving Expert Amy Goyer, author of the new book Juggling Life, Work, and Caregiving. “If you are not one of the 40 million caregivers in the U.S. now, you either have been a caregiver or will be one in the future.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7607231-aarp-caregivers/
November is National Family Caregivers Month and AARP is launching a national campaign to bring awareness to the important role that family caregivers play in the lives of their loved ones. AARP's Random Acts of Kindness for Caregivers contest will begin on October 15 with the goal of encouraging people to recognize and reward caregivers - many of whom spend 18 hours per week providing care like bathing, dressing, preparing meals, administering medications, driving to doctor visits or paying bills - in small but meaningful ways.
“Caregiving may be one of the greatest expressions of love and it's woven into the lives of one in six adults,” says AARP Family and Caregiving Expert Amy Goyer, author of the new book Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving. “A staggering 40 million family caregivers provide support for loved ones and, as a caregiver myself, I know that the smallest acts of kindness - like holding a door for someone pushing a wheelchair, surprising them with flowers, or even taking a caregiver's dog for a walk - can be memorable moments in the life of a caregiver.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7607231-aarp-caregivers/
Many people think being on hospice means lying in a bed, barely conscious. However, this perception is not an accurate one. Many hospice patients' final moments are spent enjoying quality time with family and friends and creating special moments and memories. This would not be possible without the help of hospice.
The mission of hospice is to provide specialized care for patients in the final weeks and months of life and their families. More simply, hospice care supports living one’s life to the fullest with dignity regardless of how much time remains.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7429131-moments-of-life-by-hospice/
While the loss of a loved one is difficult for everyone, a child's limited ability to understand death can make grieving more difficult than it is for an adult. According to a recent national poll, 75 percent of children and teenagers under the age of 18 who have recently experienced a loss feel sad, anger, alone, overwhelmed and worried without really understanding why (ChildrenGrieve.org).
To better assist children through this difficult process, hospices offer grief and bereavement services specifically tailored for them. These services can help children realize grief is normal. Resources include individual or family counseling and referral information if another form of attention is needed. Even if the child's loved one was not in hospice care, he or she can take advantage of these services.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7429131-moments-of-life-by-hospice/
In an effort to support the 42.1 million caregivers in the U.S. who are caring for parents and older loved ones, AARP and the Ad Council are unveiling a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) as an extension of their ongoing Caregiver Assistance Campaign. The campaign, created pro bono by agency DDB New York, is supported by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) who are urging their members to run the spots in the weeks leading up to both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day this year.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7514151-ad-council-caregiver-assistance/
Occasional forgetfulness is a normal part of the aging process; the memory loss and disorientation caused by Alzheimer's are not. Fresh video, photos, documents and links posted in the Brookdale Alzheimer's Resource Center explain Alzheimer's warning signs and how they differ from typical age-related memory slips. The new material also details Brookdale's innovative Clare Bridge Crossings program for people in the early stages of dementia and how a family credits it with slowing the advance of their loved one's Alzheimer's.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7087731-brookdale-senior-living/
In an effort to support the 42 million caregivers in the U.S. who are caring for parents and older loved ones and to illustrate the complexity of this relationship, AARP and the Ad Council are unveiling a new suite of public service advertisements (PSAs), including ads specifically designed to reach the Hispanic community, as an extension of their national Caregiver Assistance campaign. The PSAs, which launch today alongside new data highlighting the added stressors many caregivers face during the holiday, will be distributed to media outlets this week to coincide with National Family Caregivers Month (November).
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7366551-aarp-ad-council-caregiver-psa-s-tools-resources/
Fresh videos, information and links relating to the stress experienced by America's 15 million+ family caregivers for people with dementia are now available in the Brookdale Alzheimer's Resource Center. The new topics include:
A woman describing the impact of her mother-in-law's dementia on her family: Video
How spouses and adult children experience caregiving differently: Video and text document
Ways that caregivers can protect their own brain health: Text document
Long-distance caregiving, the symptoms of caregiving stress, dealing with caregiver guilt, being a healthy caregiver and caring for the caregiver: Links to information and a webinar
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7087731-brookdale-senior-living/
