One of life's most difficult situations is dealing with a family member suffering from a terminal illness. While we all treasure our independence and self-reliance, at a certain point additional help is needed to make their final days, weeks, or months as comfortable as possible. This is the main goal of hospice care. There are many ways that professional caregivers can aid you, your family, and your loved one during this difficult time.
Hospice is both a practice and a philosophy. The main tenet of this type of caregiving is that the terminally ill deserve to die with dignity and in the comfort of their own homes. While services are offered in hospitals and nursing homes, many prefer to have a nurse, doctor, or aide who has specialized in this field visit their homes to administer care. These professionals typically have had some medical training, in addition to training in areas such as social work and psychology, since these are all skills need to help the dying and their families during this difficult time.
This type of care has not always been popular; death and dying are taboo topics in many cultures. Many people still feel uncomfortable when it comes to these matters, even though hospice care has become a much more widely accepted practice. While caring for the terminally ill has long been a task of religious orders and charitable organizations, the first modern facility dedicated to caring for the dying was opened in 1963 by Dr. Cicely Saunders. Saunders recognized that both psychical and psychological care was needed for her patients, a practice that has continued to this day.
Choosing to enter a loved one into hospice is often the final step in battling an illness together. While it may be hard to admit that your loved one's time has coming to an end, remember that you are inviting a professional into your home who has been trained to ease both the family and the patient through the process as painlessly as possible. They will be on hand to help with physical tasks, such as administering medications or bathing the patient, but don't forget that they can help you deal with issues that are not as easily visible. Often these professionals have been trained on how to help the family cope with and eventually accept the loss of their loved one.
As for the patient, professional caregivers will work with the doctors to make sure that a care regimen is followed, allowing the most comfort for as long as possible. From medication to simple at home procedures, these individuals are able to perform tasks that you might otherwise not be able or qualified to perform. They can also provide counseling to the dying individual, helping them through the difficult process of saying goodbye.
It is not easy to admit that your loved one is reaching the end of his life, but you should not view the decision to enter into hospice care as a decision to give up. In the end, you'll be giving everyone involved the gift of a more peaceful passing.