Taking care of your parents as they age is a rite of passage that you might even view as an honor. While you know your parents deserve the best of care, you may be unsure of how to make sure they get the help they need to thrive in their senior years. Getting good quality care for your parents is as simple as creating a care plan that includes these essential strategies.
Ask About Their Preferences Early On
Many people find it hard to bring up topics such as what someone wants to happen as they begin to experience physical and mental declines. However, the best time to start planning for your loved one’s care is before something happens or as soon as you know that they have a long-term health condition. Finding out what they want helps you to know what to do when they might not be able to communicate well. Asking about what your parents want is a great way to help them out.
Explore the Benefits of Hospice Care
Typically, people tend to need the most assistance once they reach the last six months of their life expectancy. Some companies, like Good Heart Hospice, know that keeping patients comfortable is the number one goal. During this time, your loved one might no longer need to be in a full-fledged hospital. Instead, there are options that include Medicare hospice that provide palliative care that helps your loved one stay comfortable when they’re no longer actively working on a cure for their cancer or other chronic health conditions. The benefits of hospice care are numerous.
Get to Know Their Caregivers
Once your loved one enters hospice, you have the opportunity to begin working with a team of professional caregivers that all know what people need at this stage in life. Your loved one’s caregivers are a valuable resource, and you can lean on them to find out things such as how to comfort someone who struggles with their daily activities. Getting to know your loved one’s caregivers also helps you to share who they are with each person who enters their room so that they develop a personal connection that enhances care.
Continue to Monitor Their Needs
Establishing a safe and nurturing environment for your loved one improves their quality of life. Once your plan is up and running, you’ll want to monitor it to make sure that each new need that arises is included in the plan. Whether you need to add new methods for pain relief or ways to communicate, being flexible helps you to modify the care plan as things change. Monitor your parents to make sure they have everything they need. This is incredibly important.
By the time a person reaches the point where they are looking at end-of-life care, they need a team of people who can all work together to meet their needs. Make sure to surround yourself with people who can help support your loved one, so that you have more quality time to spend together.
