A recent blog highlighted the necessity to encourage discussion about palliative care as an alternative end-of-life option to euthanasia. (blog link)  Over 70% of Quebeckers willingly chose euthanasia as an appropriate way for a patient to die with dignity.  As highlighted in the blog, palliative care is an end-of-life approach that provides comfort and pain management to ensure the patient receives quality care and dies with dignity.  Yet, the majority of the population doesn’t seem to understand the benefits or reasoning behind palliative care.

Palliative care is one of the most demanding fields a caregiver can engage in, both, emotionally and intellectually.  When treating a patient in their final stages of illness, a caregiver needs to be equipped for any and all expected and unexpected behaviours.  They also have to take into consideration the needs of the family. 

Equinoxe trains their caregivers specifically to handle all aspects of a palliative case.  It is important to understand that palliative care giving requires specifically skilled individuals with adequate bedside care and a mentally prepared spirit.  The following list illustrates the requisites a palliative caregiver should have to ensure that they will deliver the highest quality of care possible.  

 The 10 “Needs” of a Palliative Caregiver

1. The caregiver needs to be additionally trained in end-of-life care over and above their basic training in caregiving.
2. The caregiver needs to have well honed interpersonal skills, knowledge of the dying process, knowledge of nutritional needs, knowledge of personal care including skin care and mouth care, knowledge of transfers and measuring and recording the change in vital signs throughout the last days of life.
3. The caregiver needs to have specific knowledge of the palliative process and strategies of supporting families at the end of life.
4. The caregiver needs to be able to work as a member of the palliative team and communicate effectively with the doctors, nurses, counselors, chaplains and social workers.
5. The caregiver needs to have witnessed a death or have learned about the bodily changes so they can respond appropriately.
6. The caregiver needs to understand a Do Not Resuscitate order and know how to react as death approaches.
7. The caregiver needs to be flexible allowing the client to indicate when care is needed and when it should be given.
8. The caregiver needs to respect the patients’ right to privacy and confidentiality – and also that of the family.
9. The caregiver needs to honour the rights of the patient by treating the patient with dignity and respect, explaining what is being done even if the patient does not respond or appears not to hear.
10. The caregiver needs to be empathic and understanding to meet the psychological and emotional needs of the family by listening to and hearing the clients and be available to whoever needs to talk about their fluctuating emotions.

Should you or someone you know, desire a palliative care giver, knowing that he or she has been trained to manage palliative situations can put your mind at ease.  If you would like more information about palliative care or Equinoxe’s provision of skilled caregivers, call 514 935-2600 to speak to a Care Manager.

At the beginning of the summer, we talked about elder abuse and what signs to look out for if an elderly person is suspected of being a victim of financial abuse.  As mentioned, elder abuse is on the rise and justly, as the summer progressed, countless stories appeared in the news about Canadian elders being fraud or swindled out of personal savings and retirement funds.

Statistically, seniors are likely to be abused financially by someone very close to them like a family member.  Sadly, it’s more often the children who exploit their parents.    Lez Kotzer is an estate lawyer who tells some devastating stories about elderly parents being abused by their children in this Vancouver Sun article.  The stories are real and paint a clear picture of the financial abuse situation in Canada.

Prevention is the answer.  There are many important steps that can be taken to protect you from being the victim of financial abuse.  While no one wants to believe that their own child can turn against them, there is never a wrong time to protect yourself from potential financial abuse.

• Speak to your bank – Banks often train their employees to deal with situations of financial abuse.  Ask to speak to a financial adviser or planner that can manage your money professionally and securely while helping you to live successfully after you retire.
• Estate Lawyers –If you are worried about personal assets or property disputes, speaking to an Estate Lawyer will ensure that your affairs are properly managed if you become overwhelmed or incapable of overseeing your belongings.
• Understand everything that you sign and if a relative wants to borrow money, do it through an institution or a legal representative to make sure the information is in writing.  Many times in court, the situation turns into a “he said, she said” argument with no real proof
• Don’t keep a lot of money at home. Take out only what you think you will need for a week
• Powers of Attorney should be chosen carefully and can be revoked at anytime should there be any problems.
• Speak to MasterCard about their budget  system.  Once you set your budget, you can’t go over it.  It’s a safe proof way to ensure that if someone gets a hold of your credit card, your funds will be protected.
• Speak to your local social services organization or senior’s center about information or workshops for seniors confronting financial situations.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of financial abuse, going to the police should be the first thing to do.  Most parents, despite what they have been through, don’t like the idea of pressing charges against family, especially if it’s their own children. As a result, many cases of financial abuse go unreported and the victim suffers in silence or continues to be exploited.  The important thing to keep in mind is that financial abuse is a crime and no one should have to endure it.

Services such as Care Management encompass all aspects of an individual’s needs ; and financial needs are no different.  Through a specially selected network of professional resources, companies like Equinoxe can help you liaise with the right person.  Whether it’s help to pay bills or put away savings, everyone’s needs are individualized to ensure that they are protected at all costs.