What Does it Take to Make the Move into Hospice?
You may suspect that it’s time for your senior to shift to hospice care, but when is it really time? There are so many different factors that you might be considering and some of them might feel contradictory to you and to your aging family member.
Your Senior’s Illness Is Progressively Declining
When you and your elderly family member know that her health is steadily declining, it can make a lot of sense to see what hospice services can offer. They can help with pain management, symptom management, and the increased demands you’re likely feeling. All of this can become a little more manageable with some extra help.
She’s Losing a Lot of Weight
There are a lot of different reasons why your senior might be losing a good bit of weight. Her eating habits have almost definitely changed, but there are also health changes and medications that can be contributing. As your senior’s health issues become much bigger, her body may have a more difficult time maintaining a healthy weight.
Your Senior Is Weak or Constantly Fatigued
If your elderly family member is at the stage where she’s constantly experiencing fatigue or she’s weaker than usual, she may be ready for what hospice elder care can do for her. She may be sleeping more often or simply unable to participate in her life in the ways that she has in the recent past. Talk to her medical team about what in particular can help her the most and determine which services she’s willing to try.
She’s Not Willing to Continue Other Treatments
At some point, your elderly family member may no longer be willing to engage in curative treatments and therapies, even if they might be helpful for her. This might mean that she no longer wants to go to the hospital, which can be frustrating and scary for you as her caregiver. Hospice care providers can help your elderly family member to be more comfortable, no matter what her decisions are in terms of care and treatments. That can be a huge load off your mind as you try to do what’s best for your senior from here on out.
Hospice care can make so many of the issues your elderly family member is facing much easier for both of you to manage. It’s a complex decision, though, with a lot of different variables. Her doctor can help you to determine when hospice is definitely the right decision for your senior’s situation.
CHAP Accredited