Saying goodbye when your elderly family member is near death is very difficult. You might find yourself wondering how you can know when it’s time for you and for other family members to say goodbye to your aging adult and when it might be too soon.

Other Family Members Need Time

Your family members all need time to be able to say goodbye to your senior in their own way. If they live far away, they may need time to travel to where your senior is, too. Depending on what they’ve already been told about your aging adult’s situation, they may be shocked to know how close your senior is to the end of her life. That all takes time to come to terms with on an emotional level.

Understand What to Expect

There is a lot that can change for your family member toward the very end of her life. Her symptoms might significantly worsen and she may find that she needs to take medications that leave her with powerful side effects. It’s important that you know what to expect from the changes your senior is experiencing so that you can help her as much as possible.

This Isn’t an Exact Science

As prepared as you might be trying to be in this situation, there are still some aspects that can surprise you and your senior family member. Not every situation goes along the textbook guidelines and that can be a big shock. Get as much information as you can about what might happen, but remember that it’s not an exact roadmap.

Listen to Your Family Member

Family members who are near death often seem to have a sixth sense about that. Your senior may start to want to talk to you about what you should do after she passes away or she may talk more about death itself. Instead of trying to redirect her, try just listening to your senior and hearing what she has to say during this time.

Working with hospice care providers can help you to determine when the end is coming closer to your senior. They’ve got experience helping families in these exact situations and they can help you to prepare for what is about to happen. It’s possible that learning to deal with the grief before your senior passes away can help you and other family members to deal with those emotions more effectively.

If you or a loved-one have questions about End of Life Care in Freehold, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Serenity Hospice. Call today, we can help:  (609)-227-2400