Talking to your aging adult about the decisions that still need to be made around the end of her life is something that both of you might be trying to avoid. But you can’t put it off forever and there are things that you need to know.

What She Wants at the End of Her Life

Lots of people don’t think much about what they want at the end of their life until that time is imminent. It’s also a scary set of thoughts to dwell on. That might be part of why your senior might be avoiding this conversation, if she is. Sit down with her and let her know that you need to have this information in order to make sure you meet her needs.

What Is Going on with Her Health Overall

If you’re not entirely sure what’s going on with your senior’s health right now, sit down with her and her doctor and get a full prognosis. You need to know what sorts of treatments are possible as well as what sorts of problems you might encounter. This can also be an awkward conversation for your senior because she needs to confront what is coming.

Are There Treatments and Procedures She Doesn’t Want?

It’s highly likely that there are some treatments or procedures that your elderly family member already knows she does not want to experience. Having her wishes in writing ensures that even if someone else makes some decisions for her at some point, it’s on record what she wants and what she doesn’t want. This helps you as well because you have one set of information that you can share with everyone involved.

Reassure Your Senior that You’ve Got Her Best Interests at Heart

Part of the difficulty with this type of talk can be that it’s not only scary, but your senior may feel put on the spot with the topic. It’s important to let her know that this is something that you need to know in order to make sure that you do exactly what she wants you to do. Often hearing from you that you want to make sure that you’re doing right by her can be enough to reassure her.

Putting the right end-of-life care in place for your aging adult means that you need to understand exactly what she wants. If you can start this conversation well before she’s nearing the end of her life, that’s definitely better than waiting until the end is much closer.

If you or an aging parent are considering end-of-life care in Philadelphia, PA, please contact the caring staff at Serenity Hospice today. Call (215) 867-5405.