They once held out their hands to guide you when you took your first steps. Now, it’s your turn to reach out to help them as they take their final ones.

At Crystal Home Care, we understand taking care of your elderly loved ones isn’t a one-person job. That’s why we want to provide physical, mental, and emotional attention for your loved ones and the warmest support for their family.  We’ll make sure their hospice care is filled with loving memories and raised spirits rather than fear and isolation.

What Is Hospice Care?

If your family’s seniors are no longer responding to treatments, it’s time for you to think about alternative care. Hospice care focuses on creating a comforting and loving atmosphere rather than one based on medicine and hospital regimens. With this, your loved ones’ care providers will treat your elders like family instead of patients.

As our new family members, we’ll make sure your seniors spend their final months the way they deem fit. Instead of thinking about their terminal illness, they’ll invest their time in reminiscing, tying up loose ends, and saying goodbye. Hospice care helps them to do this with the following forms of care.

Physical Care

Hospice care guarantees someone will always be at your loved ones’ sides. Constant attention eases the concerns of the family and the anxieties of your seniors. They’ll always have someone to talk to, play games with, and rely on, keeping them feeling safe in their final days.

With the added attention and nurture, your seniors will also live longer. Living longer allows your seniors to plan for their family’s future. They’ll have a say in what’s to come, allowing the family to do right by their elders’ wishes.

Mental and Emotional Care

Along with physical attention comes less of a mental strain. If your loved ones are aware they don’t have much longer, they may begin to panic. The idea of death or not being able to do all that they want to can be frightening.

Care providers answer questions that your loved ones may have. They’ll speak kindly and openly, evolving a trusting relationship with the seniors. They’ll ease their thoughts and give emotional support.

Providers also create an emotionally pleasing environment by playing calming music and surrounding the seniors with things they love. They’ll arrange meetings with those the seniors wish to share their time with, and in turn, visitors can evoke happy memories.

Spiritual Care

While emotional and mental comfort may be enough for many, some elders will reflect on more than just memories. If your seniors are religious, they’ll want to take part in religious traditions and prayers. Whether they’re looking for confirmation in their faith or companionship in showing their devotion, someone will be there to hold their hand.

Spiritual care also includes reflecting on past decisions and relationships. They’ll wonder if they’ve always followed their belief systems and if they need to seek forgiveness from anyone. Hospice care assistance includes helping them to reach out to make amends for a more peaceful existence.

Can My Loved One Stay in the Comfort of Their Home?

Receiving this support is common in hospitals, but families usually prefer in-home care. With in-home care, you don’t have to relocate your loved ones. They’ll remain where a lifetime of memories and caring relatives surround them.

With care at home, family members become the primary caregivers. However, aides at an agency will maintain regular visits and check-in calls depending on the plan a family member creates. A schedule will ensure seniors are never alone in their homes, even when their relatives are away.

Who Will Tend to My Loved Ones in Hospice Care?

When you decide on hospice care, you will have a team behind you, including:

• A doctor: Your loved ones will choose whether they want a hospice doctor or their regular doctor to oversee their final days.
• Nurses: Just like at a hospital, a nurse will tend to your ailing loved ones. Whether your seniors are living with you or on their own, a nurse will visit them daily. They’ll also report new developments with the seniors and coordinate with the hospice team.
• Health Aides: Working alongside the nurses, health aides assist those who can no longer bathe, eat, or perform other daily activities.
• Counselors: It’s common for your loved one to have questions and concerns near the end. Spiritual and emotional counselors, including priests and pastors, supply guidance for the entire family.

Other possible members of the hospice team include:

• Pharmacists
• Speech/Occupational/Physical Therapists
• Social Workers
• Volunteers

How Can I Tend to My Loved Ones?

On top of hospice care assistance, professionals will teach you how to care for your terminally ill loved ones. For instance, you already know how to provide your seniors with the proper dosage of their medication. However, caregiving professionals will help you determine if you should increase or decrease the dosage.

Aides at the company will also teach you what to do if your loved one experiences any of the following.

Diminished Eating or Drinking

If your loved one refuses to drink, feeding them ice chips will prevent dehydration and dryness. Feeding them small spoonfuls of food will also give them energy.

Physical Irritation

If your senior is on permanent bed rest, constantly adjust them to prevent bedsores. Keeping their bodies moisturized is also key to healthy skin.

Confusion

Near the end, your loved one may begin to wander mentally. At times, they may show signs of confusion. When this occurs, gentle touches and a calming voice are helpful. If this issue worsens, you should involve a professional.

Hospice Care With Crystal Home Care

Hospice care means never leaving your terminally ill loved ones alone. It also means peace of mind for the grieving family. However, looking for the care you desire may seem difficult.

For 40 years, we’ve supplied families with full-time live-in care, tailored at-home assistance, and hospital hospice care. Our aides maintain a friendly and safe environment and follow your preferences. To find out what Crystal Home Care can do for your family, call 708-535-4300 for a free consultation today.

We provide professional in-home care services throughout Chicagoland and the surrounding suburbs including but not limited to: Chicago – Hinsdale – Winnetka – Northbrook – Wilmette – Oak Brook