Family Bill of Rights
___________________
What is
Caregiver
Support?
IN A NUTSHELL:

Delegate

Exercise

Use humour

Maintain social contacts

Get professional assistance

Don’t “Go It Alone”

Allow “Goof Off Time”

Lean on family

Take frequent breaks
 Throw yourself into your
work

I have the right to enjoy my own good
health without feeling guilty. It is not my
fault that someone I love has a terminal
illness.

I have the right to choose whom I will talk
to about the illness. If I hurt others’
feelings because they are asking too many
questions, it is not my fault.

Even if I am a child, I have a right to know
what is going on in our family. I have a
right to be told about the illness in words I
can understand.

I do not always have to agree with someone
just because he or she has a terminal illness.
I can get angry at the patient without always
feeling guilty, because sickness does not stop
someone from being a real person.

I have the right to feel what I feel now, not
what someone else feels I “should” feel.

I have the right to look after my own needs,
even if they do not seem as great as the
person’s I’m caring for. I am permitted to
take “time out” from the illness without
feeling disloyal.

I also have the right to get outside help for
myself, even if others in my family choose
not to get help.

No one has the right to take my hope away.
I believe that the powers that control my life
are greater than the understanding of any
person or group of persons.
Caregiver
Support
At Matthews House Hospice
Delegate. Ask family or friends to do things
that will take some pressure off. Consider
this…what happens if I get sick?
Get some friends to help you with a “Just
For Me List”, then schedule one.
Consider joining a support group…
collect ideas from others in the same boat.
Strategies for Avoiding
Burnout
As a caregiver you are on the job 24-7,
sometimes placing yourself at risk. Signs
you should watch for are withdrawal from
leisure activities or exercise that you enjoy,
spending less time with friends, frequent
fatigue and even irritability. In extreme
cases, depression can be the result when all
you do is “function”. Here are some
strategies to combat what Francoise Mathieu
calls “Compassion Fatigue”.
Make a list of all your roles, the demands on
your time, then prioritize.
Schedule some “Me Time”. Take time when
you can get it by postponing doing some of
your routine chores.
Look for some form of respite to allow you
to get out to do something for you. Steal
moments to read, soak in a tub, etc.
Back to basics…eat well, get enough sleep,
exercise…something you enjoy.
We can provide help and support:
-To navigate the health care system.
-To access the available community services.
-To help you give your loved one the best
possible care.
-To understand the importance of
looking after yourself.
“Compassion fatigue is no one’s fault. It
is a natural and predictable effect of the
work of caring for others. It is, in fact, a
sign that the work has been well done.
However, it can also be a wake-up call
that improved self-care is necessary.”
“Hope is not about everything turning
out OK; it is about being OK with how
things are.”
Activities we
Provide
Caregiver Drop-in Groups:
2nd Thursday of the month.
Caregivers get together to share their
stories, challenges and triumphs with a
facilitator who leads them through their
group discussion and support.
Learning Seminars
Reflexology
Playing with Colours (art group)
Yoga
Meditation
Reiki
Healing Arts
Holistic Treatment
Palliative Circle of Friends
For more information contact us.
Contact Us
Matthews House Hospice
6028 Highway 89
P.O. Box 10060, Alliston L9R 0B7
705-435-7218
Sally Taylor
[email protected]
Visit us on the Web:
www.matthewshousehospice.ca
**All support offered at Matthews House is free of
charge and confidential**
Contact Us