Making the move to hospice care can be a difficult and complicated decision for families to make, especially when someone they love is facing the end of their battle with dementia. Dementia takes a huge toll on a person’s life, affecting their cognitive abilities and their ability to communicate, and making it challenging to manage symptoms. Proper care from hospice care providers can make this difficult time easier for everyone involved.
Patient-Centered Care
Hospice allows patients to receive highly individualized care. Patients who have dementia may have some very specific preferences and needs. Often this information is difficult for family members to learn on their own, but working with hospice care allows them to have the resources that they need in order to offer the best experience to their elderly family members. Hospice care providers are able to take all of those needs into account as they also take care of the hands-on assistance that patients need. This leads to a much more comfortable experience for dementia patients near the end of life.
Pain Management
Dementia patients face some added challenges when it comes to pain. Often by the later stages of the disease, they’re not able to communicate as readily, so it can be very difficult for them to share with healthcare providers when they’re experiencing pain. Hospice care providers are able to rely on their experience to help them use pain management techniques to assist their dementia patients in being more comfortable.
Comfort Care
There are a lot of ways that dementia patients might need help to be more comfortable. Bathing, dressing, and taking care of other personal care needs can be a lot more complicated for dementia patients. Hospice professionals are there to make sure that these and other needs are managed and that seniors are kept as comfortable as possible. Addressing comfort needs for seniors with dementia can be trickier because patients may not be able to share how they’re feeling and what is uncomfortable for them.
Emotional and Spiritual Support
Dementia patients still have emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. They may have a more difficult time communicating those needs, however, so it can be a bigger challenge for family members to understand what they need. Hospice can help to bridge those gaps and line up the right resources for dementia patients and their families.
Education and Support for Family Caregivers
Family caregivers and other family members are often dealing with a lot of big issues when someone they love has dementia and is nearing the end of life. It’s helpful to have a source of education and support that they can lean on when they’re feeling overwhelmed. Hospice care providers can offer a variety of different resources to help families deal with what they’re facing.
Specialized hospice care for dementia patients helps to alleviate symptoms, manage pain appropriately, and offer comfort and support to patients and family members. These are all important aspects of ensuring that seniors at the end of life have as much dignity and independence as possible, while still having the assistance that they need.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Hospice Care in Fort Lee, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Applause Home Care today. Call (201) 326-8051
Applause Home Care provides independent, non-franchised quality Home Care for elders and families in and around Fort Lee, Hackensack, Ridgewood, Wyckoff, Paramus, Glen Rock, Pompton Plains, Franklin Lakes, Westwood, Montvale, and Fair Lawn, New Jersey.
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