Anne McMahon , RN - Birmingham , AL
March 2021 | Issue 2 | Page 3
Forging the Future of Palliative Care Summit Experiences from Attendees
What made you sign up for the Summit ? I signed up for the Summit as soon as I saw it on the UAB website . I was looking for continuing education opportunities that could help me in my current role as full time family caregiver for my mother . She has enjoyed excellent health for most of her life and the transition to dependence on others following a diagnosis of congestive heart failure compounded by falls related to advanced arthritis was difficult . However , once she made the decision to accept care from her children , she has never looked back with regret on what she left behind . My mother is an artist and paints and draws regularly . She enjoys my busy household including a teenager and visits from various grandchildren and her only great grandchild .
I am the middle of her nine children and we are all working together to help her have the best quality of life possible .
Anne McMahon , RN and her mother
My background is in nursing and public health As we will take turns helping and caring for mom , I was looking for resources to help my siblings who do not have a clinical background . A better understanding of her clinical conditions and services available , helps us communicate and prepare for our future together . It can be stressful and scary to take care of a person with serious illness . The excellent care she receives through UAB ’ s department of Geriatrics helps to decrease that stress .
What 2-3 presentations / workshops / discussions did you like the most and why ? It is hard to pick out just 2-3 components of the Summit as my favorites . The presentations on Congestive Heart Failure , Caring for the Caregiver , and Meet My Loved One are on the top of the list . CHF is most pertinent to my mother ’ s illness . It was a very clear and thorough overview of the diagnosis and advance planning needs . The live Q & A brought out even more helpful details . I was encouraged that she / we are doing very well avoiding symptoms that cause distress such as pain , dyspnea , low mood and anxiety .
Quotes from Summit Attendees “ Y o u a l l c l e a r l y p u t s o m u c h e f f o r t i n t o c r e a t i n g a w e l l - p l a n n e d a n d t h o u g h t - p r o v o k i n g S u m m i t . ”
The lessons learned in The Caring for the Caregivers including mindfulness exercises have been utilized daily . The Twenty Breath and SOBER ( Stop , Observe , Breath , Evaluate , and Respond ) were very specific and helpful tools .
I think that the Meet My Loved One document has far reaching benefits beyond its use in COVID . “ Humanize before Medicalize ,” is underlined in my notes . MMLO gives the important social and personal context of the patient .
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