• Help family members confront any negative feelings and find appropriate ways to deal with them such as seeking professional counseling and/or spiritual care. • Tell the family about community resources that are available, such as services that can help with finances, counseling programs and caregiver support groups. • If you are concerned about the health of the family member or the safety of dying person, talk to other members of the care team. 4. RECOGNIZING WHEN FAMILIES HAVE SERIOUS PROBLEMS Factors that contribute to abuse/neglect: • Alcohol or substance abuse • Financial hardship
Long-standing family problems, such as financial problems, substance use or domestic abuse, will not necessarily go away because a family member is dying. In fact, because of the pressure on a family, they may get worse. Family members who feel overwhelmed by their caregiving responsibilities or angry with the dying person for leaving them can also become abusive. It is not up to volunteers to deal with these serious family problems; however, volunteers may be in a position to recognize signs of abuse
• History of abusive family relationships • Lack of communication/agreement among family caregivers and client about care • Isolation and lack of social support • Dependency on the caregiver • Lack of caregiver recognition. Signs of abuse/neglect: • Unexplained injuries in various stages of healing or grip marks • Delay in seeking treatment • Dying person is withdrawn, passive or apathetic whenever the abusive family member is present • Unexplained discrepancy between family income and dying person’s standard of living • Lack of attention to personal hygiene.
and neglect, and help families get help. It is sometimes hard to detect abuse or neglect. In particular, it can be hard to distinguish neglect from the effects of a life-limiting illness. It’s important for volunteers to be sensitive to the situation in the dying person’s home and to the family members’ well-being. It’s also important for volunteers to trust their instinct. If you see any signs of abuse or neglect, talk to your supervisor. If the family is at all abusive towards the volunteer, the supervisor will remove the volunteer from the home.
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