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Transitions can be difficult—returning from a hospital or nursing home is an adjustment for the patient and family. Transitional care can help ease this transition and give patients and caregivers the tools they need to manage their healthcare. What is transitional care? Transitional care serves as a ‘bridge’ for patients who were recently discharged from a hospital or nursing home. A nurse practitioner visits the patient and provides care at home or at the patient’s facility, until...

Feeling grief and its related emotions is natural. When caregiving, grief is an extremely important emotion to understand. You may have heard before that there are stages to grieving, and this is often true, but it is also a personal and unique process—everyone grieves differently. With caregivers, grief can be exceptionally difficult, since often there may be grief over a family member who is still living. Taking care of someone who has extreme memory loss or...

While the holidays can be a time of joy and fellowship, they can also be extremely difficult for those who have lost loved ones. Changing long-held traditions and experiencing the holidays you celebrate without family members or friends can cause grief and sadness that can be hard to deal with. Here are a few tips that can help you handle grief during the holiday season: Create new traditions. During the holidays, many families have traditions that...

Severe illnesses are difficult on both patients and their families. Facing a serious illness can also be complicated—from treatment options and difficult decisions to finding the right care. Advanced care can help provide the support patients and families need during this time. What is advanced care? Advanced care is the medical management and care of patients who have severe illnesses or injuries and who cannot or have difficultly traveling to outpatient clinics for therapy or appointments. Advanced care...

Hospital stays can happen suddenly and be upsetting. Making medical decisions and navigating the healthcare system can also be incredibly complicated. That’s why transitional care after a hospital stay is important and helpful for patients and caregivers. Here are some common questions you may have about transitional care: What is transitional care and how long is it? What should I expect as a caregiver? How do I coordinate home care? Who do I contact to ask...

The number of caregivers in the United States has been increasing in recent years. Each year, it is estimated there are about 44 million family caregivers. Many of us will be caregivers for family or friends at some point in our lives, and there are many ways to be a caregiver. What is a caregiver? A caregiver is someone who provides care and support to an adult who has a serious illness or injury. This also includes...

Serving as a caregiver to a family member or loved one who is experiencing life threatening illness or injury is difficult. It is easy to feel mentally, emotionally and physically drained when having to make difficult medical decisions. It’s important to remember to also take care of yourself when going through a difficult time and finding ways to bring positivity in your life can be beneficial. Here are some ways to remain positive when facing difficulties: ...

Family caregivers are becoming increasingly common, and indeed, many of us will be a caregiver at some point in our lives. In the United States, there are about 44 million caregivers each year. Caregiving can mean many things, like caring for an aging family member or an adult with a serious or chronic illness or injury. While being a primary caregiver can be rewarding, it can also be stressful. Because of this, it’s important to know...

Facing a life-threatening illness or injury is difficult. Patients, family and caregivers may often need help navigating difficult medical decisions and experience fear associated with their diagnosis. Palliative care teams can provide support, care plans and medical management to those who need it. What is palliative care? Palliative care is specialized care that is focused on patients who are facing life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses or injuries. Palliative care provides treatment plans for symptom management, as well as...