Try: #a cr facing death can still live a life of wellness giving attention to self-care relationships and things that are most important #for crs unable to manage alone caregivers can provide support in homes where the crs’ wellness is promoted where chaos is limited where crs’ comfort and cleanliness are maintained and where crs’ are not isolated # hospice workers can teach family friends and caregivers about death and dying and compassionate ways to care for people who are close to death #like anyone facing the unknown a cr facing death is not going to be comforted by false promises that everything is fine and there is nothing to worry about caregivers can offer more comfort by listening and simply being present for the cr in a silent attentive way #if a cr talks about unfinished business a child with whom contact has been lost or words never said to a person now dead consider options for resolving feelings does the cr to make contact with an estranged child ask the cr what he or she would say to an adult child or to a deceased parent speaking thoughts aloud may help finish the business for the cr #other ways of addressing unfinished relationships include writing letters even to people who have died or informal role playing in a conversation where a caregiver or friend plays the part of the absent person and the cr interacts with the person playing the role

Materials: Compassionate listening hospice worker if appropriate support for family and friends of cr environment that allows the cr to focus on wellbeing

Categories: Spiritual

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: #when listening to the cr understand that the cr’s fear of dying is not something you have to fix it’s something to listen to and accept #just listen being pre-occupied with coming up with your response may get in the way #let the cr know you are listening by re-phrasing what has been said not in a mechanical way but with caring attentiveness #if the cr is a person of faith connecting with the cr’s beliefs may be a source of comfort consolation and hope but don’t force the language of faith on the conversation as this may lead the conversation into conventional rather than personally truthful paths #contacting a clergyperson if the cr wishes may be helpful in dealing with fear of dying but it is important to remember that not all clergy people are equally comfortable with death and dying hospitals and hospices often employ clergy people for whom this is a specialty #if anxiety regarding the fear of dying is causing the cr undue stress contact the cr’s doctor to discuss an evaluation and possible medication

Materials: People caregivers non-judgmental attitude loving attentive listening respect for where the cr is

Categories: Spiritual, Verbal Communication, Good Verbal Comm, So-So Verbal Comm, Cognitive Awareness, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

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*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Music hobby items photos etc food items enjoyed by the deceased person optional try #a caregiver friend or family member can organize visits to the widowed Care recipient (cr) it may be wise for visitors to arrive in the late morning when the cr is most likely to be alert and receptive #during the visit a visitor can introduce or bring up an item significant to the memory of the deceased as a topic of conversation this may jog the cr’s memory and provide a way to invite the cr to talk about the spouse who has died #bringing food significant to the deceased may open another opportunity to socialize and verbalize feelings of loss i e i brought you this apple pie it’s helen’s recipe do you remember the time she baked three of these and we ate all of them or even just i brought this in your husband’s honor i remember how much he enjoyed them #the widowed cr may forget his or her spouse has died remind the person gently if it seems necessary or wait for a while the cr may remember again a little later

Materials: Family & friends items associated with deceased person poe

Categories: Bereavement, Communicating, End Of Life, Memory, Socialization, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware, Good L T Memory, So-So L T Memory, Poor L T Memory, Good S T Memory, So-So S T Memory, Poor S T Memory

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Arrange a week week’s worth of clothing putting each outfit on a different color hanger post a sign on the closet door explaining what color is worn on which day of the week the night before or early in the morning put the sign on the closet door nothing the color of the hanger that the cr is to use in the morning when he or she dresses the cr will then know what outfit to wear and be wearing something new each day a chart could also be used listing the days of the weeks and the corresponding color in this case some kind of indicator that can be moved to the different days to remind the cr which day it is would be used either a taped smiley face for example or a magnet if the cr cr’s closet door is metal try to remain consistent with hanger colors week to week to get the cr into the habit of looking for the proper color on any given day

Materials: Plastic hangers in different bright colors colorful signs that match the colors of the hangers caregiver

Categories: Dressing Clothing, Some Supervision, Maximum Supervision

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Take the cr to the grocery store and take notes in order by department of specific items he or she routinely purchases most grocery stores in the city and some in smaller towns will do home delivery talk to customer service about arranging for home delivery and fill out any forms that need to be filled out let the cr engage in as much of the process independently as possible so that he or she will know how the system works filling out a card before hand with the cr cr’s name address and phone number may be helpful make copies of the grocery list to use as a guide for future grocery orders or as a default list of items that the cr will need delivered if there are people available to take the cr shopping make sure they also have a copy of the list so they can be sure to get everything the cr needs make extra copies for the cr to keep on hand when shopping or placing orders follow up regularly and check food supplies and to make sure the list is working or if it needs permanent changes

Materials: Note pad and pens to make a list contact information for all who make take the cr grocery shopping or ordering information of a grocery store that delivers locations of stores where the cr usually shops card with the cr cr’s printed address and phone number

Categories: Shopping

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: These devices can be purchased at any drug store or medical supply store; look for a heavy duty one but that will require minimal effort on the cr cr’s part keep the reacher in problem areas e g near a washing machine to pick up dropped clothes near a chair where the cr frequently needs to reach for the remote etc or encourage the cr to carry this with him or her wherever he or she goes if needed

Materials: Long-handled reacher

Categories: Safety, Needs Some Assistance, Needs Much Assistance

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Slit the back of the t-shirt and apply the velcro to the back top of the shirt edges where you cut how far down you cut will depend on the cr cr’s needs you can also apply velcro to the middle of the slit for bigger slits but be careful not to add too much bulk on areas where the cr rests as this may result in a pressure sore

Materials: T-shirt velcro strip with adhesive backing scissors

Categories: Dressing Clothing, Needs Much Assistance, Immobile

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Use tape or stop signs on any area that is unsafe for the cr to enter such as through the front door or into the basement

Materials: Yellow tape with caution do not enter written on it or stop signs

Categories: Memory, Safety, Mobile, Needs Some Assistance, Needs Much Assistance, Somewhat Aware, Unaware, So-So S T Memory, Poor S T Memory

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Encourage the cr to use the cookbook and try to work together to find meals that the cr enjoys that are easy to prepare and keep finger foods on hand as a backup

Materials: Cookbooks with one-dish recipes like casseroles and soups stews finger foods other meals that are simple to prepare

Categories: Meal Preparation

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Find an alarm clock that can be set to go off every two hours write go and use bathroom or similar on the index card either set the alarm clock on top of the index card so that the words are still visible or tape card over the snooze button for the alarm clock so that turning the alarm off is a reminder to try to use the toilet

Materials: Alarm clock index cards marker tape

Categories: Continence Toileting, Somewhat Aware, So-So S T Memory

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: n/a

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed