16/03/2025
💙 Advance Care Planning: Emotional Readiness & Caregiver Well-Being 💙
This week March 17-23 is National Advanced Care Planning Week and one of the most important weeks of the year for us here at Sunset. It's a time where we pause to reflect on the importance of preparing for your pet’s care during challenging times.
Making decisions about your pet’s health can be incredibly difficult, especially when emotions are high. By planning ahead, you can ease some of the emotional strain and feel more confident in making the right choices for your pet.
And it’s not just your pet’s well-being that’s important – as a caregiver, your emotional readiness matters too. Caring for an unwell or aging pet can be overwhelming. It can take a toll on your physical and emotional health, leaving you feeling exhausted, distressed, or unsure of how to move forward. That’s why it’s essential to check in with yourself, as well as your pet.
Tools like our Caregiver Burden Assessment Form (downloadable at www.sunsetvets.com.au) can help you evaluate your emotional state and recognise when it might be time to seek additional support. Whether that’s talking to a trusted friend, a professional, or your veterinary team, acknowledging when you need help ensures you can continue caring for your pet in a balanced, healthy way.
Remember, taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your pet. Preparing in advance means you can focus on what’s best for them, without being overwhelmed by emotions in the moment. You deserve peace of mind as you navigate these tough decisions.
At Sunset Vets, we are here to support you every step of the way during this journey and over the course of this whole week we will be sharing some of our best tips to help you prepare for your pet's care at end of life.