Five Factors of End-of-life Care that Make Life More Enjoyable
A big part of end-of-life care is keeping your elderly family member’s quality of life in mind. During this stage of her life, she may have opted out of a variety of curative treatments, but that doesn’t mean that she or you need to be miserable.
Where She Receives Care
Your senior may have grown very weary of hospitals and doctor’s offices over the course of her life. So much so, in fact, that she prefers now to remain at home. Having access to end-of-life care services can ensure that she’s able to stay where she’s comfortable and receive the care that she expects.
Keeping up with Small Comfort Tasks
There’s a lot going on right now and there’s a lot for you to be managing. That might mean that some smaller tasks, like keeping your senior’s bedding changed regularly, is difficult for you to remember. Having some help allows other people to concentrate on those little tasks so that you don’t have to.
Ensuring Visitors Are Comfortable, Too
This is a time during which more friends and family members might want to come by and pay their respects to your senior. Some of them may not understand what to expect and end-of-life experts can help them to understand what is going on. This can help visitors to feel more comfortable with their visit and give your senior the type of interaction that she needs most at that moment.
That Extra Helping Hand
You’ve probably helped your senior with a variety of situations during your time as her caregiver. At this stage, though, you may need some additional help. Turning and moving your elderly family member is imperative if she’s bedridden and it can be very difficult to do this safely on your own. Having that extra set of hands is invaluable.
Sticking to Your Senior’s Wishes
This is a delicate time for your elderly family member. She very likely has some specific wishes about her care and treatments that she wants followed. End-of-life care providers can help you to make sure that you’re sticking to those wishes as closely as you’re able. They can also serve as an important connection between her medical team and you.
As your elderly family member gets closer to the end of her life, her needs are going to continue to change and to shift. End-of-life care providers can help you to manage the practical aspects of this stage of your senior’s life while also ensuring that you’ve got a liaison with medical providers.
If you or an aging parent is considering end-of-life care in Bethlehem, PA, please contact the caring staff at Serenity Hospice today. Call (215) 867-5405.