Elder Care: If you have a senior loved one that has a terminal illness it’s difficult to think about hospice care because it can make the finality of their condition all too real.
But hospice care for seniors is a way to focus on giving them the best quality of life for the life they have left. And it will give you the chance to spend as much quality time at home with your senior loved one as possible. An elder care provider can help you by letting you know their signs and symptoms. If you are seeing any of these four signs it’s probably time to talk about hospice care for your senior loved one:
Frequently Emergency Room Visits
If your senior loved one seems to be needing trips to the emergency room much more frequently than they did in the past because of repeated infections and other problems it could be time for hospice care. Talk to your senior loved one’s doctor about the causes of these emergency room visits and whether or not it’s an appropriate time to talk about hospice care at home.
Pain That’s Not Responding To Treatment
If your senior loved one’s pain is increasing and it’s not responding to painkillers or other treatments the way that it did in the past it might be time to consider pain management with heavy drugs and hospice care to keep your senior loved one comfortable for as long as possible. An elder care provider can be with your senior loved one to manage their pain medication and assess their pain levels. That way if there needs to be any changes in their medication the elder care provider can let the doctor know.
Quick Decline In Mental Function
If your senior loved one seems to be struggling cognitively more than they were before or if they have dementia and take a dramatic turn for the worse mentally that could be an indication that it’s time to move to hospice care at home. If their mental state has declined so much that they can no longer function talk to their doctor and have the doctor assess whether or not hospice care is an appropriate next step.
Sleeping Much More Than Usual
When your senior loved one is staying in bed most of the day or seems to be sleeping more than they are awake they could be getting near the end of their time. As the body starts to shut down they will start sleeping more and more. Pain management and other medications can help keep your senior loved ones comfortable as they go through this process. An elder care provider can provide supervision and care when you can’t be there to make sure that they are getting everything they need.
When It’s Time For Hospice
Expect to feel some heavy feelings when it’s time for your senior loved one to go into hospice care at home. Take your time adjusting to what this means for your senior loved one and for your family.
If you or someone you know needs Elder Care in Mankato, MN, contact Adara Home Health Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services for many fragile or senior members in the communities we serve.
Call us at (888) 660-5772 for more information