ViaQuest CEO Rich Johnson has been inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Class of 2024. Along with 19 fellow service members, Rich has been awarded this honor for his post-military accomplishments and service to the community through the care ViaQuest provides.
If you’ve met Rich, you’ll know his passion for service and his dogged determination to never give up. Rich founded ViaQuest in 1999 to satisfy an unmet need in healthcare service delivery: Providing care to individuals with developmental disabilities and behavioral health support to people in need of these critical supports, including to veterans. This service has also expanded into providing hospice care across our three-state service area, including veteran-specific programming and accreditation by the Department for Veterans Affairs and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. These offerings have allowed tens of thousands of people to live fuller and more productive lives in our community and have provided jobs to thousands throughout the Midwest.
ViaQuest’s mission and CHOICE values are directly inspired by the philosophies that defined Rich’s time in the United States Air Force. The Airman’s Creed begins by stating, “We share an unbreakable trust and the will to never give up.” The Air Force sense of trust and willpower are reflected every day at ViaQuest in our dedication to Customer Service, Humor, Ownership, Integrity, Creativity and Excellence. We have worked hard over the last 25 years to give back to the veteran community – serving, honoring and employing many veterans over that time.
We at ViaQuest wanted to share this news with you of Rich’s induction into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. We are proud of Rich’s accomplishments, and we are proud of our company’s roots and status as a veteran-owned organization.
Heart Disease is often very stressful for patients and their family caregivers. Patients frequently experience stress over confusing medications and uncomfortable, debilitating and frightening symptoms that are difficult to manage and accept.
Those living with heart disease often feel they are a mere shadow of their former selves. Quality of life becomes compromised and they may no longer be able to experience activities they once enjoyed. They watch who they used to be quietly slip away as the disease progresses.
Though caring for a loved one with heart disease will not be easy, the support you give as a caregiver will have an incredibly positive impact for your loved one. Beyond the tasks of daily caregiving there are other simple, yet impactful, ways you can support a loved one with heart disease.
SIMPLE WAYS TO SUPPORT A LOVED ONE WITH HEART DISEASE
Manage Your Own Wellbeing. According to the Heart Foundation, it’s important for you to take time to recognize your emotional state and take real steps to manage your own health. Ensuring your own well-being helps you be a better caregiver. Get the support you need. Take some time to build a support network for yourself that helps empower you and allows you to share your emotions. Also enlist others to help so not everything is on your shoulders. Your friends and family will often welcome the chance to help out. Let them. Remember your goal is to provide the best care possible, that does not mean doing it all.
Find a Balance Between Smothering and Caring. It is difficult to watch a loved one face a serious illness. As a caregiver you step in bravely, wanting to comfort and support them. But remember your loved one’s world has shifted. They may want to fight to remain as independent as possible. They most likely will not want to be treated differently, or have you see them differently. A common complaint of those living with heart disease is that their loved ones hover over them too closely or treat them like they are fragile. Caregiving is empowering, but be sure to find the right balance so your loved one can maintain a sense of self that is not changed by the disease.
Listen. One of the most important ways to support your loved one is to simply listen. Every disease carries an emotionally difficult journey. Fear, anxiety, stress and depression may all be emotions your loved one is battling. When they want to talk, stop whatever you are doing and actively listen. Repeat back what your loved one is saying and feeling to make sure you understand. They may not be looking for anything other than to feel understood.
Advocate. Taking on a role as your loved one’s advocate can help ensure they are receiving the best care possible. Those living with serious illness often complain that their medical providers are not listening to them or not giving the necessary attention to what they are experiencing. Advocate for your loved one by reinforcing your loved one’s responses to physicians. Help them feel understood and their issues and concerns adequately communicated.
Attend Doctor Visits. There will be a lot of information shared by physicians during medical visits. Some may be difficult to understand or confusing. Especially for a patient whose disease may make critical thinking more challenging. Attending doctor visits can help ensure visits are more successful. Take notes so you can recall information as needed. Also ask questions when you need anything clarified. It will be frustrating if you leave an appointment without answers to your questions, so write them down and bring them with you. It’s too easy to forget and regret later what you wish you had asked.
Understand Medication. Heart medications can be confusing and the regiment of taking them properly can be difficult. You can help ensure your loved one’s well being by ensuring they gain the full benefit from their medications. Understand the purpose of each prescription, how to take it properly and what side effects it may cause. Communicate any issues to your loved one’s medical team.
Plan for the Future. Planning now for the days ahead will reduce anxiety and stress tomorrow. Knowledge is power. Understand the progression of the disease and options for care in the future when more support will become necessary. Ask your loved one about their wishes for end of life care. What is important to them? Understanding their wishes can help prepare for choices like hospice care that is focused on improving quality of life.
GETTING AN EXTRA LAYER OF CARE Caring for someone with heart disease is demanding. It’s mentally, physically and emotionally challenging. The day-in and day-out demands of caregiving can feel overwhelming especially as the disease progresses. Heart disease is progressive and there may come a time when you need an extra layer of support.
ViaQuest Hospice teams are expertly trained in heart disease. Our care brings an extra layer of support that helps improve quality of life and eases the burdens of serious illness. If you have any questions about caring for a loved one with advancing heart disease, we’re here to help, reach out to us for options and answers. Caring for your loved one will be easier if you have a strong group of people around to help.
SELF-CARE FOR CAREGIVERS. 7 STEPS TO REDUCING CAREGIVER BURNOUT.
It’s time again for those promising New Year’s resolutions. Every year many of us vow to make positive changes. Some will focus on eating healthier and getting into shape, others saving money or getting out of debt. Some will promise to live more fully by spending more time with family and friends or traveling more. If you are a family caregiver we hope to encourage you to add self-care to the top of your list.
Family caregivers never put on their oxygen masks first. Every day we see the care, compassion and dedication you give your loved one. As a care provider, you’re always putting others first. So where’s your oxygen? ViaQuest wishes you a New Year filled with a little more ‘YOU-care’. We know you can’t add more time to your day, so here’s a few self-care tips that don’t require much time, yet can help you breathe a little easier.
– Express gratitude. Acknowledging the goodness in your life can make you more optimistic and feel better about your life.
– Sing Out Loud. When driving, roll down those windows and SING. Singing sends musical vibrations through your body that can lift your mood. Make it loud and proud.
– Be The Original You. You were born an original piece of art. When you practice self love by being fully yourself and liking who you are, you give yourself more strength to love others. Don’t look at yourself as only a caregiver, get back to who you were before.
– Ask For A Hug. When you have the opportunity, ask for a hug. Getting a hug from a good (healthy) friend can help ease your stress. Hugs are comforting and good for your health. The firm, constant pressure of a hug can help calm an overactive sympathetic nervous system. If you’re not in a situation where you can safely get a hug, consider a weighted blanket.
– Celebrate You. Embrace the good you are doing. Acknowledge your incredible contributions to your loved one. See the best in yourself.
– Take a little ME-time. Sip that morning coffee, listen to your favorite song, the whole song, take a deep breath. Carving out even just a few minutes a day can help you reset.
– Accept Help. When caring for someone, it’s so difficult to accept help. Many feel it is their sole responsibility to care for their loved one. Others feel no one will care as deeply or as well for their loved one as they do. But accepting help will empower you to be a better caregiver. We can’t do our best when we’re running on empty. When friends or family say they want to help, they mean it. Let them take a bit of the responsibility off your shoulders. And when it’s time for an extra layer of support, ViaQuest can bring an entire team of expert, compassionate care that helps empower the care you are already giving.
The new year can be a time of new beginnings. While it may be challenging to consider your own needs, these very simple steps can help. Caregiver burnout is real and can take a devastating toll on your own health and well-being. Even just a little self-care can go a long way to help ensure you are able to provide the best care possible to your loved one. Consider making 2023 the year of self-care. And remember, if you or your loved one needs an extra layer of support, we’re always just a call away. Learn how ViaQuest Hospice cares for the mind, body, and spirit.
When a loved one is seriously ill and facing the end of life, considering how to provide the best support and care possible is not easy. As a family caregiver, your role is one that is both beautiful and overwhelming. It’s difficult to acknowledgewhen it may be time for hospice. When considering how to meet your loved one’s needs and wishes, it helps to understand what is most important at this juncture. Ask yourself what matters most to you, your loved one and your family. If the goals have turned to quality of life and helping your loved one live as fully as possible, then hospice may be the answer. Many people may not understand how hospice gives the gift of time, family and support.
THE GIFTS OF HOSPICE
Too many people misunderstand the role of hospice care and only consider hospice in the very last days of life. Many of the families we’ve cared for tell us that they wish they had chosen hospice care sooner. Hospice adds life to days.ViaQuest Hospice provides meaningful, thoughtful care focused on quality of life. Care is patient focused and centered around the patient’s and family’s wishes. Hospice also gives patients and their families the ability to spend precious quality time together, creating memories and recapturing joy.
THE GIFT OF TIME
ViaQuest Hospice improves quality of life. Through expert pain control and symptom management, hospice adds “life” to the days that remain. Hospice also adds days. Research has shown that people on hospice care live longer than those who are not receiving hospice. When time has become most precious, ViaQuest Hospice can help you and your loved one live the days that remain more fully. ViaQuest’s support also allows families to spend less time managing their loved one’s care and spend more time simply being together. We bring a full breadth of support into the home, including CNAs who help in daily caregiving like bathing, grooming, changing bed linens, light housekeeping and light meal preparation. Our team also arranges any needs your loved one may have related to their life-limiting illness, including medications and medical equipment like hospital beds. We “share the care,” giving you the precious gift of spending more quality time with your loved one.
THE GIFT OF FAMILY
When days become limited, it is often home and family that matter most. Hospice care can help your loved one remain in the comfort of “home” with family. ViaQuest Hospice care is provided wherever your loved one calls home. Patients are able to remain with their family, surrounded by the things they love. Care is available in a private home, assisted living facility or skilled nursing facility. ViaQuest Hospice also provides an extra layer of support that enables family members to resume their role of wife, mother, daughter, husband or son through our ability to share the care. Our extra layer of support helps you return to being a family, with less stress and more peace of mind. In a very real sense, hospice gives the gift of family.
THE GIFT OF SUPPORT
Caring for a loved one with an advanced illness is not easy. Though we take on this role out of love and respect, it’s a challenging journey. As your loved one’s illness progresses, new challenges arise. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and even lost. You don’t have to face this alone. Hospice gives the gift of support. ViaQuest Hospice helps ease the stress and burden of serious illness by providing an extra layer of real support. Our expert care and support empowers family caregivers with the reinforcement of a highly skilled team that provides education, respite care, resources and emotional support. Our team includes physicians, nurses, CNAs, social workers, chaplains and volunteers whose skill and compassionate care combine to bring you a complete support system. We also understand the real need for time away. ViaQuest Respite Services provide families and caregivers with a necessary break from providing around-the-clock care. This gives family caregivers the opportunity to rest and tend to their own needs. Not only is this important in reducing the pressures that can come from full-time care, but it ultimately allows caretakers to return more effectively to caregiving and really be present. While we provide expert medical care for your loved one and share caregiving duties, we provide the entire family with emotional and spiritual care to help you deal with the emotional toll of illness. ViaQuest Hospice ensures you won’t face this challenging journey alone.
GETTING THE CARE AND SUPPORT YOU NEED
If your loved one is struggling with serious illness,ViaQuest can help through expert care, symptom management, caregiver support and education. ViaQuest Hospice improves quality of life for those living with advanced illnesses, including COPD, CHF cancer, dementia, Parkinson’s, ALS, and kidney or liver disease.Learn more about how we can help your loved one live more fully. If you thinkit’s time to consider extra support, here are some great tips onhow to have the conversation.
