As a person heads toward those golden years of life, there’s often an increase in health related challenges they often face. When the diagnosis involves a terminal illness or other condition, it’s often referred to as ‘end-of-life.’ Elder care is a topic many families should discuss as early as possible.
Some seniors may be dealing with dementia, which includes Alzheimer’s. Around the time of diagnosis, though, the senior is often able to tend to his or her own basic care, for the most part. They generally need some assistance or reminders of things to do throughout the day, but beyond that, they are relatively self-sufficient.
As the disease progresses, however, the challenges are going to increase. Sometimes dramatically. This can place not only increasing pressure on their family members — who are often primary caregivers — but also the senior, especially when they lose track of where they are, what they were doing, and who’s supporting them.
Assisted living can be a great option for many aging seniors to consider, and it doesn’t have to start out as full-time. More and more assisted living communities are providing respite care services or short-term and part-time stay options.
How equipped would assisted living be to handle end-of-life care?
Assisted Living Daphne, AL: End of Life Planning
To be honest, that would depend on the facility. Some facilities are going to be limited in the kind of support they may offer residents, especially as it pertains to significant health issues or end-of-life care.
Yet, for an elder care option like a memory care facility, this could be a wonderful consideration for somebody dealing with dementia. The senior may very well be fully capable of doing most things for themselves at this stage in their life and have no interest in uprooting everything about themselves (just yet), but a few overnight stays or a couple of days a week can help them not only get comfortable with the environment, the layout, the residents, and the staff, but the longer they build emotional connections with staff members at any type of elder care option, the better it will be for them in the future.
How does familiarity help?
In the coming years, a person with Alzheimer’s, for example, may very well forget the people around them. This can cause confusion, frustration, and intense anxiety. Family and friends may react to verbal or physical aggression with shock, dismay, or even outbursts of their own.
Experienced staff members have plenty of strategies, skills, and knowledge at their disposal to help calm most situations down or, at the very least, to keep the senior safe.
But, also, if an aging person has a memory gap, doesn’t recognize their surroundings or the people with them, repeating certain phrases, mannerisms, and so forth from a staff member who has worked with this individual for months or even years can bring comfort back to the senior, even before they remember where they are and who those people happen to be.
Relying on assisted living for end-of-life care is a great option that doesn’t always have to be full-time, at least not right away.
About Cindy Johnson
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