Barbara Kretchmar became a widow on March 6, 1990 when her husband Ed passed away from cancer, leaving her with two young sons to raise alone. At the time, she found support in friends and counsellors, but she longed to connect with other widows who could relate to her grief. But none existed at the time.
In the age of technology and the internet, there’s no shortage of digital resources that can help to help make life just a little bit easier. For many, those resources come in the form of mobile apps. While lots of these may seem unnecessary or even a little intimidating to figure out, there are lots that are easy to use and can prove worthy aids for loved ones and family caregivers of hospice and palliative care patients.
As loved ones age, family members often find themselves assuming a new role as caregiver. It’s a role they juggle alongside other responsibilities including their career, personal relationships, and caring for their own children.
No one ever wants cancer to touch their family. It can be a painful journey through chemotherapy, radiation, and reoccurrence. However, there can also be moments of great joy in the face of such adversity. The Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care Gift of a Day program has given patients and their families facing cancer some beautiful end-of-life stories.
As patients reach the end of life's journey, there are many unexpected feelings and occurrences that can arise for them, their caregivers, and their loved ones. Terminal lucidity is an end-of-life phenomenon that has left many families and caregivers puzzled.
“The moments we share are the memories we keep forever.” If you had one year left to live, how would you spend it? What about one month? Or one week? When most people are asked this question, they don’t talk about finishing up a project at work or buying new furniture. They talk about spending time doing what they love with the people that mean the most to them.
