EP 112 :: Inviting Hospice in Before You Think You Need It :: Kathy Peters
Family caregiver Kathy Peters joins Bobbi & Mike to talk about employing hospice care for those living with dementia—even sooner than one might expect. Tune in as they empower caregivers to “shop around” for the best agencies in their area and share resources that can help them do so.
Through caring for her father-in-law with dementia, Kathy learned the importance of sharing the caregiver role and responsibilities with a care team. As his primary caregiver, she learned that creating a team made up of family, friends, hospice and professional agencies, she could confidently know her loved one’s needs were being met and she didn’t have to shoulder the burden alone. Her life lessons are truly powerful, just like this episode.
Kathy Peters was part of a team of family caregivers for her 86-year-old father-in-law, a team that included her husband, sister-in-law, and out-of-pocket caregiver, in order to keep him at home on his farm while in late stages of Alzheimer’s. Suddenly and unexpectedly thrust into the role of caregiver, Kathy spent much time researching Alzheimer’s Disease and ways to make her father-in-law’s quality of life the best it could be while being cared for at the farm that he had managed since he was 17 years old. While seeking resources, Kathy believed that her loved one was not far enough along to qualify for hospice assistance. She was urged by a stranger, a fellow home caregiver on social media, to call hospice at least for an informational meeting. She reached out to hospice and was amazed at how helpful this little-known “before end-of-life” resource was during her loved one’s final weeks of life.
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