November recognizes two important topics to raise the public's awareness: National Hospice/Palliative Care Month, and National Family Caregivers Month. I used to work as a Medical Social/Care Manager, and remember how difficult it was to get family members to use respite care for themselves. Spouses were especially reluctant to use respite, stating things like, "I promised Elma I would never leave her alone." I would share my observation that the spouse was suffering from significant burnout, but it was still tough to convince these caregivers to care for themselves too.

Palliative care, although providing relief, can also cause confusion among patients and family members. "If Elma gets really ill should I take her to the hospital?" Everyone suffers when the ill person is admitted or readmitted to the hospital - fear increases with all the uncertainty. Just physically moving someone is often difficult, and is always disruptive. Care transitions during this time can be especially hard due to the patients' many extra needs. Medication changes, new equipment ordering and delivery, and increased care tasks may not be communicated clearly between all caregivers.

AARP provides excellent information on their online Caregiver Resource Center, including tips on how to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and readmissions. 

This article can also be viewed at www.healthinsight.org.