Anesthesia Fear (Research, Video 1:30)

Afraid of anesthesia? You definitely belong to a large group of the population. Your sex and age can also impact your feelings about this procedure. Research on surgical anesthesia involving 400 patients with 80% experiencing preoperative fear reveals the following top three causes of anesthesia fear:

1) Fear of postoperative pain (Will you be in pain after the operation?)

2) Fear of intraoperative awareness (Will you be awake when you shouldn’t be during the operation?)

3) Fear of being sleepy postoperatively (Will you be sleepy when the operation is over?)

Other fears related to surgical anesthesia include drains, needles, saying personal information, and not waking up at all after surgery. What roles do sex and age play? Females are more likely to experience fear before surgery, and patients over 40 years old are at higher risk of being afraid.

Are anesthesia fears unwarranted? No, there are always risks associated with any anesthetic procedure. However, serious complications such as paralysis and death are rare. Because so many people fear anesthesia before surgery, now would be a good time to relieve some of that anxiety with this video featuring Dr. Richard L. Kahn of Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) who addresses the safety of surgical anesthesia and possibilities regarding what to expect:

Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Hospice Dementia Live Discharge Impacts Caregiver Grief (Research, Video 2:23)

Live discharges from hospice include patients deciding to resume curative care, improved patient conditions beyond hospice guidelines, or hospices inappropriately using live discharge to avoid costly hospitalizations. In terms of patients discharged who have dementia, another layer of concerns can be added for caregivers. Caregiving a hospice patient who has dementia includes a series of transitions in their roles. When the patient no longer meets eligibility criteria, it can be very difficult for caregivers who have been anticipating an end to understand the discharge in the context of their grief process.  

Research on hospice discharge of patients with dementia explains the unique grief experience of these caregivers. They struggled to understand the patient’s terminal prognosis as temporary. In addition, caregivers were left to resume caregiving responsibilities or assume a new caregiving role after experiencing a loss of hospice services. Hospice social workers are particularly needed to offer emotional and other concrete support to caregivers who experience a live discharge of patients who have dementia.

This video indicates the symptoms and behaviors commonly seen during the final stage of dementia progression.

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Keeping Older Adult Volunteers (Research, Video 2:15)

The presence of older adult volunteers in many nonprofit organizations is increasing steadily along with their numbers in the general population. But how can they be persuaded to keep returning? When it comes to keeping older adult volunteers, being mindful of what motivates them and their needs are significant. A critical clue lies in the reasons they find their service satisfying. That’s what will tell you when and how to hold them.

A research sample of 172 older adult volunteers reported that, in addition to enjoyment of the volunteer tasks, the degree of satisfaction with management is an important predictor of older volunteers’ intention of remaining in service. These answers have important implications on how organizations manage volunteerism and the relationship between paid staff and volunteers.

Numerous volunteer programs exist that provide varieties of tasks that need to be done. One popular program in America that is designed specifically for older adults is Senior Corps RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer program). It is one of the largest volunteer platforms for individuals at least 55 years of age. Their motto is “lead with experience” because experience is what these volunteers have and what our community needs.

Sharing with volunteers the many research-based benefits that they can receive is another means of encouragement. As this video highlights, those benefits include improvements in health, longevity, brain function, depression, and a sense of purpose.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Caregiver Guilt, Gender, Forgiveness (Research, Video 1:32)

Women and men who are caregivers don’t always want to be caregivers. Some enjoy nurturing their patients and find the caregiving experience challenging, but rewarding. Few people talk about caregivers who feel depressed, trapped in a hole with no way out except the death of persons in their care. Even reading this may sound scary. Imagine the guilt a caregiver might have when these feelings rise to the surface during their daily living.

This study analyzed guilt among family caregivers of dependent patients from a gender perspective. Interviewed were 73 family caregivers and 23 health professionals (family medicine, community nursing, and social work) with a focus on the following areas of guilt:

1) Guilt for abandoning family and friends

2) Guilt for the relationship with the dependent person

3) Guilt for placing the relative in a nursing home

Results indicated that women report more guilt than men for abandoning family and friends because of their relationship with the dependent person. Regarding nursing home placement, no difference was observed as a function of gender.

Guilt is a major problem that must be addressed by caregivers and healthcare professionals. Not finding solutions for guilt can lead to mental health issues. Caregivers need respite time away from patients, so they can share their experiences, gain information from others, and relieve stress. They need programs that save them time and make them feel that they are cared about by others. They need people to be their caregivers by temporarily relieving their burdens, sharing an uplifting activity, being good listeners, and providing encouragement.

One important beginning for caregiver relief of guilt is forgiveness of self.

In this video, Dr. Alexis Abramson discusses various ways for accepting and alleviating caregiver guilt.

    

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog