It is important for caregivers to understand the difference between end-of-life care and late-stage care. End-of-life care focuses on the patient’s comfort, while late-stage care focuses on prolonging their life. This post will cover both types of care in more detail. This is so that you can make an informed decision about what type of care would be best for your loved one.
Contents
What Is Late Stage And End of Life Care?
Late-stage and end-of-life care are when you are in the last stages of an illness. It also refers to treatment that keeps someone comfortable during this period, even if it does not cure them. This means that you may need different types of care as your illness progresses. You may also need more help with activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing.
You might be given treatments like painkillers or oxygen therapy. This is so they can spend their final days at home with family members. It is instead of in a hospital bed. The goal is to help relieve suffering for both patients and loved ones while preventing infection by keeping tubes out of reach.
Types of Last Stage And End of Life Care
These are some types of last stage and end of life care:
Hospice Care
This is a type of last-stage treatment. It is for anyone with an advanced illness, even if the person isn’t expected to live six more months or less. The goal is not to cure them but make their pain and symptoms better while they are near the end of life.
Palliative Care
This is also a type of last-stage treatment. It is for people with an advanced illness who are not expected to live six more months or less. The goal is to relieve pain and other symptoms so the person can live as comfortably as possible. This type of care can be given at home or in a nursing facility.
This type of care is for people with a serious illness who have been diagnosed within the last 12 months. The goal is to help them feel better and prevent their symptoms from getting worse.
This type of care can be given at home, in an assisted living facility, or hospice center.
Nursing Homes
Some people may need to go into a nursing home in the late stages of their illness. This is often because they can no longer take care of themselves and need help with activities of daily living.
Comfort Care
Comfort care is mostly used when a patient has reached the final stages of their illness. It includes the relief from pain and other symptoms so they can have an improved quality of life in these last days or weeks. It also involves treatment to improve their comfort during this time period. This is when family and friends can provide support through visits, readings, prayers, or just being there.
Inpatient Hospitals
People may also need to be admitted to a hospital in the late stages of their illness if they are having trouble breathing, eating, or drinking, or if they are in a lot of pain.
How Do I Know If Someone Needs Late Stage And End Of Life Care?
These are the signs that someone needs late-stage or end of life care:
- The person is unable to eat, drink or speak.
- They are having trouble breathing.
- Their movements have slowed down and they can’t walk on their own anymore.
- They are in a lot of pain and there is no relief with medication.
- They are having trouble sleeping.
- The person is losing weight and looks very frail.
- Their skin is dry and they are losing hair.
- They have a fever that does not go away with medication.
If you see any of these signs, it’s important to talk to the person’s doctor about their care options. The doctor may want to start palliative care treatments or refer them to a hospice program.
What Will Happen During Late Stage And End Of Life Care?
In late-stage and end of life care:
- The person will rest more than usual. This is because they may not be able to get out of bed on their own anymore. They might also need oxygen therapy if it’s hard for them to breathe without extra help.
- They eat what sounds good instead of sticking to a diet plan that makes sense based on their diagnosis or treatment options left available. Sometimes, they do not eat anything at all.
- They lose their appetite and may need to be fed through a feeding tube if it becomes too hard for them to swallow or digest food. They might also take liquid medicines instead of pills that are crushed into applesauce, pudding, ice cream, or smoothies. The doctor will order medicine that makes swallowing easier as well.
- The person has trouble speaking because the muscles in their mouth have become weak from lack of use during rest periods when they can’t talk much anyway. They still communicate by other means like writing down what they want to say on paper or pointing to pictures with large words printed on them so everyone knows what’s going on without having any confusion about important decisions being made together throughout this process.
How To Prepare For Late-Stage And End of Life Care?
You can prepare for late-stage and end of life care by:
Talk To Person
Talking to the person about their wishes before it’s too late. It might be difficult to talk about, but you will feel better knowing they are comfortable with what is happening in their final days or weeks on this Earth. You may want to bring up topics like hospice options, how long someone could live without treatment anymore if something were to happen today, medication dosage amounts that would help them rest comfortably while still breathing properly so they don’t have any more pain than absolutely necessary, etc.
Communicate Between Doctor And Family
Taking part in conversations between doctors and family members when important decisions need to be made together regarding things like medications prescribed or even stopping some medicine regimens if they are no longer effective and might be causing more harm than good at this stage.
Take Care of Supplies
Make sure you have all the supplies necessary to care for the person in their last days or weeks, like extra diapers, bedding, feeding tubes/supplies if needed, oxygen tanks and tubing, pain medications (if not already prescribed), etc.
Take Break From Break
If possible, take a break from work or other responsibilities to spend time with the person who is nearing the end of their life. This can be difficult emotionally but it’s also a beautiful thing to witness someone you love pass away surrounded by those who love them most in this world.
Prepare Yourself Emotionally
Preparing yourself emotionally for what will happen in these last stages so that everyone involved can cope as best as possible. It’s okay to cry, it’s okay to be scared, and it’s okay to feel every emotion under the sun – just make sure you communicate those feelings with the people around you so they know what to expect and can provide support when needed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, late-stage and end-of-life care can be a difficult process, but it’s also an important one that allows the person to pass away peacefully surrounded by those they love most.
This care can be provided in a hospital or at home as long as the person’s condition allows it. If hospice care is needed, make sure to speak with your doctor about what resources are available for you and your family during this difficult time. It’s important to remember that you are not alone in this process and there is always support available.
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