Supporting Pet Owners Through End of Life and Hospice Decisions
1 hr CE credit for veterinary technicians
For pet owners, sometimes the only thing harder than making treatment decisions and caring for an ailing pet is knowing when to stop. In this course, you will learn tried-and-true techniques for managing difficult end of life discussions with both candor and empathy. We will share tips for dealing with pet owners who feel overwhelmed or react with anger. Since patient loss is hard for you too, we will review the symptoms of compassion fatigue and share tips for effective self-care.
PROGRAM AGENDA
- Options for hospice care
- Support resources for pet owners
- Medicine that elevates a palliative plan to a treatment plan
The dynamics of end-of-life care
- Stages of grief
- Effective communications with grieving clients
Monitoring quality of life
- Tools for the practitioner
- Techniques for pet owners
When treatment ends
- How to discuss euthanasia and body disposal options
- Methods for reassuring clients
- Combating compassion fatigue for veterinary professionals
This program has been approved for 1.0 hour of continuing education credit for veterinary technicians in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval. Anivive RACE Provider #50-30163
Lindsay A. Lewis
RVT
Hospital Manager
TrueCare for pets
- Techniques for honest-and-helpful client conversations
- The stages of grief
- Tips for dealing with overwhelmed or angry owners
- Helpful resources for owners
- How to recognize compassion fatigue and practice self-care