The decision to go towards hospice care is a large and heavy one. We want to believe we have everything our family members need and live their last days at home: but this is often not the best idea for anyone involved.
If you’re on the fence about hospice care and want to make an informed decision, here are the most important things to know. In the end, your opinion, and the opinion of your loved one, are more vital than anything else you may hear.
Your Loved One Needs Constant Care
Does the loved one that your family is working to take care of need around-the-clock care? There is a lot of pressure, a lot of workforces, and a lot of energy needed to keep constant good care going for someone in this situation. Unfortunately, some families can do it, and it feels like a failure for them- but it’s not! Hospice care can take over and alleviate this stress.
It’s Warping How You Think About Them
You want to remember your loved ones as they were when they were at their prime. If they’ve been sick for a long time, that vision of them can become more and more cloudy. This plan doesn’t mean that you forget them, just that this version of them is taking precedence over your memories. You can fight back against this by allowing them to be taken into hospice care. You’ll see them during their best parts of the day, and you can keep that wonderful memory of them intact.
They’re Lonely Despite Visitors
If you notice that your family member seems more lonely and less friendly and lively, a hospice can help against that. Hospice gives people the chance to gather and get to know others going through the same thing. Although many might think this would be depressing, many patients in hospice care, like at Sibley Hospital, can build great friendships this way, which makes their final days much happier.
Their Caregiver Is Burned Out
If someone within the family is taking care of this family member, unfortunately, they’re going to get burned out eventually. It’s a noble and kind idea that someone would want to take their time and energy and use it towards a family member, but in the end, it could be not suitable for nearly everyone involved. Caretakers who aren’t professionals get burned out, especially when they’re a one-person team. They may do their best to care for this family member, but people nearing the end often need around-the-clock care, and it’s not healthy to lay that pressure all on one person.
They’re Getting Closer To Passing
There’s no delicate way to put this, but eventually, even the most vital patients will have to admit it’s time. There are warnings, like listlessness or a need to give away things or start saying goodbyes. You could have them in your home until they pass away, but that strain could take a toll on many families. Instead, it would help if you gave them the chance to have every comfort they like with them at home.
