-
Knowing What to Expect When a Loved One Reaches the End of Life
When you have been advised that a loved one is nearing the end of his or her life, it’s natural to wonder what the future holds. Fortunately, in-home hospice care can be extremely comforting for both you and your loved one, as an experienced end-of-life caregiver guides you through the process and helps you understand what to expect. Here are some of the symptoms you may see in your loved one while he or she is receiving end-of-life care in Memphis .
rst
Fatigue
Fatigue can be overwhelming at the end of life. Your loved one may be unable to take part in any activities that require physical exertion and may struggle to hold long conversations, read, or watch television without sleeping. When your loved one does have energy, plan activities that make the best use of that time, even if it means simply sitting together and having a long talk. In very late stages, your loved one may appear to be asleep or in a coma and unable to speak at all. However, he or she can still hear you, so continue to talk to your loved one. Your hospice care provider can help you recognize the signs that your loved one’s fatigue is becoming overwhelming.
Shallow Breathing
At the end of life, breathing becomes slow and shallow, and there may be periods where your loved one sighs or takes a deep breath and then doesn’t breathe again for a few beats. This kind of shallow breathing is normal. Turning your loved one on his or her side can be helpful. Generally, people who are experiencing this shallow breathing are not uncomfortable. Ask your hospice caregiver for advice of you believe your loved one is suffering, as a doctor can treat this symptom to increase your loved one’s comfort.
Decreased Need for Food and Water
It can be scary to watch your loved one eat and drink less, but resist the urge to force food or water. Give your loved one easy options, like ice chips and soft, easy-to-digest foods. Dehydration is common when your loved one’s appetite declines. Keep his or her lips and mouth moist with glycerin swabs and lip balm.
-
Preventing Medication Overdoses in Seniors
Medication assistance is often a key part of elder care in Memphis . Most seniors take some kind of medication. Whether it is a prescription heart medicine or regular insulin for diabetes, almost all seniors take at least one pill daily. Often, these prescription drugs are essential to their very lives. Unfortunately, as they age, seniors become increasingly likely to either forget their medicine or accidentally overdose. Read on to learn how you can help prevent a dangerous medication overdose in your senior loved ones by using medication management, hiring caregiving help, and checking prescription safety.
Use Medication Management
Medication management is often essential for elderly care. To prevent medication overdoses, consider investing in modern medication management tools to remind yourself and your senior loved one of how much medicine to take and when. Many bill bottles come with different compartments for days of the week. Modern pill bottles are also equipped with alarms and even electronic disbursement systems, so your loved one and his or her caretaker know which pill to take. Many medications must be taken at the same time each day, which means these systems are integral.
Hire Caregiving Help
Hiring caregiving help is one of the best ways to prevent medication overdoses. Many seniors become forgetful with age, whether it is due to a neurological condition like dementia or as a natural side effect of the aging process. When you hire elderly care help, you can count on your loved one taking the correct dose of medication every time. Otherwise, seniors could forget that they have already taken a pill or how much was ingested.
Check Prescription Safety
Whether you are the primary caregiver or hire caring companions to assist with administering medication, you should always remain vigilant when it comes to the medications your senior loved one has been prescribed. Many people visit different doctors for different ailments. Make sure that all your loved one’s physicians, including dentists and psychiatrists, are aware of all medications that have been prescribed. This will ward off both accidental overdose and bad medication interactions.
-
Comparing Hospice and Palliative Care
Are you deciding between palliative care and hospice near Memphis ? There are differences between these two options, and it is important to be fully informed before you make these decisions for yourself or a loved one.
Hospice care programs are generally administered by professional care providers in a patient’s home. However, some hospice programs do take place at caregiving facilities. With hospice, it is important to have family support, as well. A professional caregiver can provide support as a visiting hospice nurse. A professional caregiver may also offer more comprehensive care, depending on a family’s needs and availability. But by the time patients need hospice care, they have progressed to the point where they need constant assistance and support. Conversely, palliative care teams are directed to end-of-life care. Patients requiring palliative care generally need more medical support than a hospice care patient, who may not be struggling with a particular illness. Palliative care relies on teams to administer medicine. Therefore, palliative care is usually administered at a professional facility or hospital. An institution like a nursing home or senior assisted living facility is also ideal for different kinds of palliative care.
-
Planning for End-of-Life Care
When it comes to end-of-life care in Memphis , it is essential to plan ahead. Whether you know a loved one who will shortly need comprehensive elderly care or you may want to move into an assisted living facility yourself, starting your research early will guarantee you get the very best care available. In addition to having the most experienced caring companions, you can get a more affordable rate. Read on to learn more about how you should go about planning for end-of-life care by researching options, discussing choices, and considering costs.
Research Options
When you invest in end-of-life care, you deserve to have the highest quality of care possible. Whether you are considering moving your loved one into an assisted living facility for round-the-clock care or will be the primary caregiver yourself, you will need comprehensive support. In the final stages of life, many people choose to stay at home so they will be as comfortable as possible. When you consider your options for professional caregivers, you should only hire experienced and compassionate professionals to assist you and your loved one through this difficult time.
Discuss Choices
When it comes to end-of-life care, you should make sure to discuss all available options with your ailing loved one and all close family members. Make sure that your loved one realizes that he or she has your complete support. Often, individuals who require end-of-life care are still sufficiently mentally sound to make informed decisions about their lives. Allowing them to choose between different caregivers and to personally select an in-home caregiver can preserve their sense of independence and dignity.
Consider Costs
In-home care should not place an undue burden on surviving family members. Whether you need more comprehensive dementia home care for a senior relative or need to have a caregiver agency help with a younger loved one nearing the end of his or her life, you should work with an esteemed agency that provides affordable options for home care assistance.
-
Tips for Teaching a Senior Loved One to Use Technology
Elder care in Memphis is dedicated to even more than health care support and companionship . As you will learn in this video, teaching your senior loved one to use technology can offer invaluable support, helping to improve his or her quality of life tremendously.
An assisted living facility prioritizes teaching seniors how to use technology. Seniors are often ill-equipped to navigate the Internet or use new cell phones, which is why a caregiver agency places so much importance on technology. As an assisted living aide knows firsthand, knowing how to use a cell phone can be the difference between life and death in a health emergency.
-
What You Should Know About Return Home Care
If you have a loved one who is currently staying in a hospital or another medical facility, you may not have thought much about what will happen when he or she returns home. However, proper return home care is critical to ensure the continued health of your loved one. A professional caregiver in Memphis can provide you with the guidance and assistance you need to ensure that recovery goes smoothly. Here are some important things you should know about return home care.
Making your home a safe space. It’s important that you make any modifications to your home that are necessary to make it a safe and comfortable place for your loved one to be. This may mean installing grab bars in bathrooms, adding a wheelchair ramp, or clearing away clutter that could lead to accidents. A home health professional can advise you on how you can make your home safer.
Seeking out useful resources. You should work closely with the healthcare facility your loved one is staying at in order to make the transition home as easy as possible. Your loved one may require round-the-clock attention, as well as assistance with daily tasks such as bathing and dressing. You may also need access to transportation services for your loved one’s convenience. Having an in-home caregiver on hand can help to make it easier for you and your loved one to adjust to the recovery process.
Determining your health goals. When your loved one is released, he or she will probably require continued care during recovery. It’s important to plan out a program that will maximize your loved one’s level of recovery, which may include working with physical or occupational therapists in order to improve his or her condition. Pre-planning return home care will help ensure that your loved one stays healthy and can continue to lead a comfortable life at home.
-
Protecting Seniors from Financial Fraud
Protecting seniors from being taken advantage of is essential to elder care in Memphis . As you will learn in this video, elderly individuals are especially susceptible to financial fraud.
One aspect of elder care involves making sure that seniors do not fall victim to thieves and predators. Whether you hire a professional caregiver or are personally responsible for a senior loved one’s home health care, you should always be wary when a senior makes a large financial investment. The biggest sign of financial fraud is any investment that maintains it is “guaranteed to make money fast.” Anything that promises unreasonable returns is likely fraudulent.
-
Recognizing the Signs of Progression in Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common issues affecting seniors who require elderly care in Memphis. If your loved one has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it is essential to work with caregivers who specialize in dementia and memory care. Only an experienced team will be qualified to provide compassionate and effective support to individuals who suffer from dementia. Continue reading to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease progression and the symptoms that you might notice in each stage.
Early Stage
As an elderly care provider who cares for Alzheimer’s patients will tell you, the early stages of Alzheimer’s can vary. Alzheimer’s disease usually begins with changes in a patient’s behavior that are so minor that they may go unnoticed. The most common early symptom of Alzheimer’s is loss of memory of recent events. Alzheimer’s patients may initially struggle to recall something that happened the day or week before and may also have a hard time learning new information. Confusion is another common change during the early stage.
Middle Stage
An Alzheimer’s caregiver cautions family members to watch for more marked changes during the middle stage of Alzheimer’s. At this point, a patient will likely need help with their normal daily activities. An in-home caregiver may be employed to provide support with cooking, cleaning, dressing, and bathing. Alzheimer’s patients generally become more forgetful as time goes on and may struggle to remember words or names. During this moderate stage, an Alzheimer’s patient may also get frustrated or angry as they sense their loss of control.
Late Stage
During the late stages of Alzheimer’s, a patient will likely need senior assisted living services or professional in-home care. An Alzheimer’s patient may have a difficult time eating, swallowing, or controlling his or her bladder. Eventually, he or she may lose speech entirely, although a few words may still be uttered. Caretakers and the presence of family members are essential, as an Alzheimer’s patient still very much recognizes signs of love and affection even as memory suffers.
-
Why Medications Reminders Are Important to Seniors
Medication reminders are a big component of elderly care serving Memphis . Even if your loved one does not suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s, he or she may deal with the confusion and memory lapses that often accompany old age.
Many seniors take daily medications that are essential to their health and wellbeing. When it comes to caring for elders, all caretakers know that seniors can sometimes simply refuse to take their medicine. At other times, they may feel embarrassed because they cannot remember which medication to take at what time. Additionally, others were never properly advised of how to take a particular prescription. Experienced home health care companies advise anyone who cares for a senior to create a system for taking medication. You can invest in a pill box with different slots for different times of the day. You may also want to purchase an electronic pill box that sounds an alarm when it is time to take medicine. Missing even one dose of a medication or taking too many doses within a given period can have life-threatening consequences, so you should make sure that you create a good system for medication reminders.
-
Signs a Senior May Be Struggling
Signs a Senior May Be Struggling
As your loved one ages, it’s important to recognize the signs that he needs homecare assistance near Memphis . When you provide the appropriate elder care or senior assisted living services early enough, you can help your loved one avoid accidents, injuries, and health complications. A home health aide can offer your loved one companionship, household and grooming assistance, and medication management.
Watch this video to learn about some of the signs that a senior may be struggling and in need of elder care. The sooner you seek senior care services from a home health agency, the happier, healthier, and more comfortable your loved one will be.