How Can Hospice Elder Care Help with Nausea?
Nausea can be the result of medications your family member takes or because of other issues entirely. If she’s near the end of her life, nausea can be even more upsetting for her and for you. Getting a handle on nausea is easier with the help of hospice elder care providers.
Identifying the Cause, if Possible
The first step in solving this mystery for your family member is almost always identifying the cause of nausea. In some cases, treatments and medications can cause nausea and even vomiting as side effects. Sometimes certain foods cause nausea. There may even be multiple causes. Once those causes are identified, it’s much easier to adjust and to correct whatever can be corrected.
Keeping Your Family Member Calm
Some people who are dealing with constant nausea find that anxiety and being upset make the situation much worse. Hospice elder care providers can help your family member to enjoy a peaceful environment and to lower her stress levels. As she relaxes, it can be easier to manage nausea.
Monitoring Medication Side Effects
There may be medications that your family member takes regularly to manage her health conditions that cause nausea. If she’s not willing to stop taking those medications, a specific medication for nausea might be in order if her doctor agrees. Side effects will still need to be managed, especially if you’re adding one, two or more medications to her list.
Adjusting to the Environment
The environment your family member spends the majority of her time in also makes a big difference. She may need more or less fresh air or there may be certain smells in that area that contribute to nausea. Making these small changes can create some big results for your family member.
Offering Small Meals and Snacks at the Right Temperature
Smaller meals served at a cold temperature can help to soothe your family member’s stomach. So too can cool beverages. If she eats or drinks too much, that can also cause nausea. Carefully monitoring your family member’s intake and offering smaller snacks can help to forestall that.
When you can get nausea under control, your family member may find that other symptoms are a little more manageable, too. She may find it easier to eat and even to get some much-needed rest. All of this can help to improve her quality of life more than either of you might think.
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