Hearing the doctors disclose that your loved one is suffering from a life-threatening disease would cause a wave of emotions to come crashing down at once: denial, grief, sorrow, and so on. The pain could be unbearable, especially if you and your affected loved one share a close bond.
Denial is normal at the moment you hear the diagnosis, as well as weeping the anticipatory loss. However, despite all of these heavy emotions clouding your mind, you should still be ready to accept and cope with the situation, and give your loved one the best care you can provide.
You can admit your loved one to hospice care services in Indiana or other states. Doctors would recommend hospice care to patients with a limited life expectancy, or to patients who wish to stop receiving painful medical treatment. In hospice care, your loved one would receive medications to relieve their symptoms, and their family members can also be provided with emotional support and spiritual counseling.
How To Talk To Your Loved One About Hospice Care
It would not be easy to open up about hospice care to your loved one, despite both of your awareness of the situation. If their doctor has already recommended it because medical treatment is no longer effective, then it would be time to persuade your loved one to consent. Hospice care will not only manage their symptoms, but can also give them therapies and counseling. Most services are also done at home, so your loved one will be at their comfort zone.
Care team members of a hospice also allow their patients to make wishes. Even if their patient has limited capabilities to move or travel, care team members will get creative in improvising ways to make their wishes come true.
Family members of the patient are also given emotional support, spiritual counseling, and bereavement services after their loved one has passed on. In some cases, hospice care patients live up to a year or longer, so convince your loved one by telling them that hospice care doesn’t always mean the end, or that you’re giving up on them.
How To Spend The Remaining Time With Your Loved One
Dealing with the pain of a loved one suffering from a terminal illness gives you opportunities to say “I love you” and make every moment count. People with loved ones who died unexpectedly often regret not saying those words when they still had time, so take advantage of all the chances you still have.
Make peace with them in case you’ve had misunderstandings. Forgiveness is important for a person who’s at the final stages of their lives, whether it’s for them or others. Gratitude is also critical. Thank them for all the times you spend together, the things they’ve done for you, and everything else. They would undoubtedly be happy if they hear how you’ve appreciated them.
Some dying people hold on to life because they sense that their loved ones are not yet ready to let them go. When you see that their pain and suffering are already unbearable, say all those words of love and appreciation to them, and assure them that it’s alright to let go. Show them that you’re now ready to take on the responsibilities you used to share on your own. This assurance can offer your ill loved one tremendous relief.
Talking About Death
Even if your terminally ill loved one has already made peace with their situation, talking to them about their death will still be difficult. To make it easier, you can start by asking questions about how to help, what they are feeling, or what they are thinking. Depending on your comfort level with them, you can ask more specific and straightforward questions. Asking for advice from religious leaders, hospice workers, and doctors will also help.
While spending time with them, always put their feelings first and allow them to end conversations they do not like. Let them relish comforting thoughts, pleasant memories, and even fantasies. Instead of focusing on their weaknesses, focus on making them enjoy every last moment of their lives.