As your elderly family member nears the end of her life, she may have some options that she wasn’t aware of in terms of her long-term care. Helping your elderly family member to find all of the options that are possible for her is important, because that enables her to find the type of treatment that best meets her needs and her wants now.
Do Nothing at All
Lots of people get to a point with chronic health issues where they are tired of trying anything at all to manage their condition. This might happen with your senior. She may decide that she doesn’t want to try curative treatments, or treatments that are attempting to fix or cure her ailment, and she doesn’t want palliative treatments, either. This leaves her in a limbo situation where she might be in pain and uncomfortable in other ways, but unwilling to try anything, either. Very often people who feel unheard may go this route.
Keep Going with Curative Treatments
Another option your senior might go with includes running full speed ahead with curative treatments, even if they’re painful, not working, or both. This can be a difficult decision to watch your senior make, especially if her doctor has warned her that these treatments are not likely to be successful. They can take a lot out of your elderly family member and leave you feeling hopeless, too.
Choosing Hospice Care Treatment
Hospice care treatment is a third option your senior might choose. This type of care allows your elderly family member to get the help and assistance that she needs to be as comfortable as she can be for as long as possible. This type of care is also called comfort care when that’s all that can be done for your senior going forward. Hospice care is a solid option for your elderly family member if she no longer wants to try curative treatments and she’s very near the end of her life. This allows her to have some relief, even if that relief doesn’t come with reversal of her condition.
What your senior opts to do may vary depending on how she’s feeling at any given time. She may also cycle through some of these options more than a few times as she settles on a path that she prefers. What’s important is that your elderly family member’s needs are met as well as possible.
If you or your aging loved one could benefit from Hospice Care in Holly Hill SC, contact the caring staff at Grove Park Hospice, (803) 536-6644.
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