Whilst this is something that you undoubtedly don’t like to think about, unfortunately, many families are faced with the difficult prospect of losing a loved one to a terminal disease or a life-limiting condition. Even though many are able to live with illnesses for many years, as their condition progresses, you will likely find yourself in a difficult situation whereby you’re having to make decisions about their end of life care.
You will likely want to do all you can to improve the time your loved one has left and thankfully, there are things you can do to not only ensure that you’re easing their pain, but that you’re also filling their last few months, weeks or days with happiness. When putting together an advanced care plan for the last few weeks of your loved one’s life, hopefully, the information below will be beneficial to you and it will help you to ensure that you’re doing everything you can to make this time as bearable as possible.
Ensure that you’re taking into consideration your loved one’s wishes
Even though discussing the future with a terminally ill loved one can be incredibly difficult, it is important to ensure that any arrangements you make are in line with their wishes. So, take the time to have an honest conversation about their needs and what they’d like to happen in the last few weeks of their life.
Knowing that you’re all on the same page will provide comfort to them and prevent any worry in relation to what’s to come. This is also the perfect time to address any fears that your loved one may have and you can ensure that you’re putting their mind at ease.
Make it possible for them to stay at home in a familiar surrounding
Many will want to stay at home until they pass and avoiding going into hospital or spending their last few days in a hospice is important to them. If this is the case for your loved one, you should look into ways that you can make it possible for them to stay in a familiar surrounding and live as comfortably as possible in the time that they have left.
Specialist palliative care is often the best solution in this regard and professional carers can provide you with the end of life support services required at this time. These care workers can remove any worry or concern both you and your loved one may have had about them being at home and ensure they’re well looked after at this time.
Fill their days with happiness and offer a welcome distraction
The days may feel long and lonely for your loved one at this scary time and for this reason, you should try to provide them with distractions and keep them company when possible. Whilst home carers can be there to provide companionship, you may also want to encourage family and friends to pop round or call for a chat, to take their mind off things for a little while.
Should your loved one wish for this time to be more private and they don’t want to have visitors, you can still lift their spirits in other ways. Putting their favourite films on or playing their favourite songs can make a big difference in the way they feel.
Provide the required emotional support to close family and friends
Don’t forget to think about the others around you at this time as well. In addition to ensuring that your loved one is getting the emotional support they need in their final weeks, you should also encourage your close family and friends to discuss their concerns and worries too.
Whilst being strong in front of your loved one is important and it will help to prevent them from getting upset, never hesitate to confide in someone else and get things off your chest. It is essential that you’re all taking care of yourselves and this will benefit your loved one as well.
Using end of life care support services
Hopefully, the information above will be helpful to you during this undeniably difficult time and if you are interested in end of life care support services, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us here at Beloved Homecare. Our comprehensive services are designed to support clients with terminal illnesses or progressive conditions and we enable them to remain within the comfort of their own home surrounded by their family members.
Here at Beloved Homecare, our specialist team of palliative carers are fully trained and they work closely with numerous healthcare professionals including; district nurses, GP’s, hospital discharge teams and pharmacists. So, you can rest assured knowing that we will provide nothing but the highest quality of care and your loved one will be in the best hands during their last few weeks. Should you have any questions regarding our end of life care support services, we are always available on the other end of the phone.