Neighbor to Neighbor

Why do we need this training?

Non-medical Support. Non-medical, holistic, and practical support is the answer to the present and future healthcare crisis in caring for our loved ones, and each other, during the last days of our lives. We will have more people needing end-of-life care and support than presently are available to help them; that is a fact.

Shortages of Professionals. There are shortages of nurses and physicians, and an ever-increasing population who will require higher levels of care. This is being referred to as the ‘Silver Tsunami.’ As we face a serious illness that will lead to the end of our lives, we will require increased attention from our loved ones and others who understand the issues of this time well.

Healthcare System Taxed. Also, we have been going through the pandemic and its aftermath, and for the first time have seen where our present healthcare system is having trouble supporting us. The Silver Tsunami may do the same thing—tax our present system in ways we are not prepared for. We will need to step-in in ways we are not used to doing. It is our hope that this training will be helpful to you since it will be us—the circles of extended family, neighbors, friends and community members—that will be stepping in to help. This training is here to prepare you.

We Need More. Where will the additional support that we will need come from? Who are we to turn to? Little time is built into the present healthcare system to fully address the issues of the seriously ill and dying unless a person is on hospice. And many people are dying who are not on hospice service. Many people will never come onto hospice, and many of us who are in the circle of someone who is seriously ill and declining will want to understand how to be helpful. Even though many people trust their family physician and value their opinions, supportive assistance is still often needed to navigate the end-of-life issues.

Many of Us Are Alone. And there is another very important aspect to this—not everyone has adult children to help care for them, a partner, or a close family and friend system. We are increasingly a society in isolation and many people live alone, with very little to no support in their lives. As friends and neighbors, we may be playing a larger role in the care of each other over the next 20 years than any of us could have imagined. It truly may be friends helping friends and neighbors helping neighbors that gets us through the years ahead; that is why we created this program.