End-of-Life Care in Allentown PA: End-of-life planning can be scary for you and for your senior, mainly because it’s difficult sometimes to know what that planning really includes.
End-of-life planning sounds a lot more complicated than it has to be. Often seniors and caregivers put off this conversation because they worry that it will be difficult or that there will be painful details involved. This might still be true, but it also could be an easier conversation than you expect.
Your Senior’s Goals at the End of Her Life
You might feel as if you already know how your senior wants the rest of her life to go, but have you specifically talked about her goals during that time? If not, it’s time to make sure that you have a solid understanding of your elderly family member’s intentions during that phase of life. It’s important to understand what treatments and medications she wants to continue during that time.
Which Treatments and Therapies Your Senior Wants
There might be some therapies and treatments that your senior really doesn’t want to have, no matter what else is going on with her health. If you don’t know those details, it’s incredibly difficult for you to keep up with what she needs and how to approach certain issues. This is a vital part of any end-of-life talk.
Where Your Senior Wants to Spend the Rest of Her Life
Your elderly family member may also have some very distinct ideas about where she wants to physically be near the end of her life. She may be adamant that she wants to be at home for as long as possible, even in an emergency. Or she may be fine with going to a different type of facility in which she receives assistance from end-of-life care providers.
Anything Else Pertaining to Her Comfort and Care
There might be a dozen other issues you haven’t thought about regarding your senior’s near future, but she might have put a lot of thought into the situation. Sitting down and having this conversation can help you to feel that you’re doing what she needs as well as what she wants. If your elderly family member isn’t interested in this talk, stress to her that you’re trying to make sure that you put what she needs and wants in place.
There’s enough stress involved in determining what your senior might need at the end of her life. If you can still talk with her about her preferences and how she wants this stage of her life to go, you need to do so. Even an awkward or difficult conversation is better than no information at all.
If you or an aging parent is considering end-of-life care in Allentown, PA, please contact the caring staff at Serenity Hospice today. Call (215) 867-5405.
Michael Drew, LNHA
Michael Drew LNHA is the administrator of Serenity Hospice PA, servicing the greater Bensalem and Philadelphia areas. In this capacity, he leads and inspires the company’s mission of providing quality and compassionate end-of-life care and supportive services for patients and their families, and to enhance their quality of life. Michael’s hallmark is his genuine concern for patients and his dedication to meeting their needs.
A veteran of providing quality healthcare, Michael has served with distinction in a variety of leadership capacities for nearly two decades, notably as administrator for several Skilled Nursing Facilities in New Jersey. Known as an innovative and solution-oriented individual, Michael has his finger on the pulse on new trends and concepts in providing quality care.
