By Allison Applebaum, PhD
Family caregivers are the everyday heroes of health care. They’re the ones—parents, partners, children, siblings, friends—who step up to help loved ones living with serious illness at home, often around the clock. Today, more than 53 million people in the United States are in this role, which keeps growing. As more health care shifts to the home, caregivers’ roles are more important than ever. But caring for someone isn’t always easy, and it can be overwhelming.
By Andrew Esch, MD
Heart failure is a serious illness that can take a toll on quality of life for patients and their families. If you are living with heart failure, you already know that it is a serious illness in which the heart is unable to pump blood properly. Palliative care can help. … Read More
Palliative care can provide many benefits to people living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, and their caregivers.
“Palliative care is an opportunity for you and your loved one to get a helping hand and make it easier for both of you,” says Doris Phildor, Health Systems Director at the Alzheimer’s Association in New York City. … Read More
The holiday season can be a difficult season for family caregivers. When your loved one is living with a serious illness, you won’t let them tackle the obstacles alone. Their struggles are your struggles. Their pain is your pain. You’re there to help them in any way you can.
But who helps you? … Read More
Tony Back, MD, a doctor in Seattle, has very useful and clear tips for caregivers caring for someone with a serious illness during COVID-19. What you do is so important to the person you care for—so first, Dr. Back and all of us want to shout out a huge thank you.
Many of you want to know what you should be doing now about coronavirus. And you’re saying, we’re already staying at home. What else can we do? Well, there are three other good things you can do now. … Read More
By Andrew Esch, MD
If you are caring for a loved one living with a serious illness, you are part of the largest workforce in the country. More than 43 million people – that’s almost one in seven Americans – are providing unpaid care for a chronically ill, disabled, or elderly family member or friend. Many of these caregivers are holding down a full-time job at the same time, and many are also raising children. … Read More
When you receive a diagnosis of cancer, heart failure, COPD, or any other serious illness, it can be very hard to think clearly on the spot. In such a situation, try not to be preoccupied with asking all the “right” questions immediately. Here are some questions that can help with your conversation:
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