No one wants to see their loved one in pain, especially when it comes to elderly loved ones. Pain management is a growing concern among those 65 and older, as their bodies are more prone to aching and sores in more than one location. The pain they feel will later worsen and have a detrimental and deteriorative effect, ultimately leading to a poor quality of life.
Caring For a Dying Loved One
Death is never an easy subject to approach, especially when it relates to the elderly. No matter how hard it may be, you must ensure that your loved one will be in little to no pain towards the end of their life. The months before their death will be one of the most tumultuous and painful times, but it doesn’t have to be this way!
Caring for an elderly adult during the final stage of their life isn’t easy either. You will have to carry out many responsibilities related to their health and pain management while keeping your emotions at bay simultaneously.
That’s where hospice care services can come in. When your senior loved ones receive the necessary hospice care, they will be able to have a comfortable and relatively pain-free experience, and you can make the most of the final moments you have left together.
Pain in Older Adults at the End of Their Lives
Everybody is different, but everyone has more or less the same symptoms when their body begins to stop working. When you notice some of these signs below, your loved one may be nearing the final stage of their life.
Weeks Before Passing
Some of the earliest signs indicating that your loved one is at the end of their life may involve:
- Low mood
- Loss of appetite
- Lack of motivation
- Withdrawal from others
Days Before Passing
A few days before the end of their life, your loved experience the following symptoms:
- Impaired vision
- Labored breathing
- A drop in blood pressure and heart rate
- Refusing food
- No bowel movements
- Delusions
Hospice Pain Management
The time before death is generally peaceful, but the months leading up to it can be painful for your older loved one, whether it be physically, emotionally, and spiritually. You don’t have to be concerned about failing to give them the necessary care, as senior health services can provide treatments and methods to ease their pain and satisfy their needs.
During their final moments, the people involved with their pain management will ensure that they will meet a peaceful and pain-free end.
Nurse
A nurse will see to it that your loved one experiences little to no pain. They will assess, monitor, interpret, and evaluate the pain they are feeling, ensuring that your loved one doesn’t have to endure endless suffering. Giving them the necessary medications will help your loved ones handle the pain much more easily for a comfortable stay.
Home Health Aide
Meanwhile, a certified home health aide will provide most of the direct care to your loved one. The knowledge they have of your loved ones’ pain experience allows them to know how to act accordingly in pain assessment and even treatment.
Chaplain
In the case of spiritual pain, a palliative chaplain acts as a “story catcher” who addresses the concern for emotional and spiritual health.
By listening to their story, the chaplain promotes healing and instills hope, encouraging your loved one to “resist” their death instead of merely submitting to their demise. With the help of a palliative chaplain, your loved one will be able to have a much more delightful last few months and dignified death.
Case Manager
Hospice case managers keep the team together. They make sure that the care plan is carried out well, addressing family, patient, and facility concerns. Case managers will see that your loved one is safe and comfortable while offering emotional and practical support for you, your loved one, and the hospice care team.
Conclusion
No person deserves to die while in pain, and your elderly loved one is not an exception. Our hospice care team at Bridge Home Health & Hospice understands what older adults are going through in their final months and are prepared to carry all of the responsibilities involved to have a smooth transition.
Let Bridge Home Health & Hospice help give your loved one the most comfortable final moments that they deserve. Our hospice care team in California focuses on relieving suffering and promoting your quality of life, whether your goal is curative care or comfort care. Connect with us to learn more about what we do.
