End-Of-Life Care and Preparation
No one wants to imagine their end of life. It’s an emotionally challenging subject that can be difficult for many aging individuals and their loved ones. However, it’s important to consider end-of-life preparations well before your time to help ease some of the stress for yourself and your loved ones.
What Is End-of-Life Care?
End-of-life care refers to the medical and non-medical care you receive as you enter the final stages of life. Regarding medical care, end-of-life treatments generally focus on easing symptoms to relieve physical discomfort.
At Visiting Angels, we provide non-medical end-of-life care. Our compassionate team of caregivers works with clients to make them feel physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually at ease. We also support our client’s families, helping them navigate this difficult time.
End-Of-Life Preparation
But before all of that, and ideally, long before you reach the end of your life, it’s helpful to have a few things in order. Preparing various documents and plans can eliminate some of the stress from loved ones once you’re in the final stages of life.
Organize Your Finances And Personal Affairs
One of the more tedious aspects of end-of-life preparation is organizing your finances and personal affairs. A few common documents you may want to prepare include:
- Will: One of the most common end-of-life documents, a will, is a set of instructions for how your estate and property are dispersed at the end of your life.
- Living Trust: This document outlines what you want to be done with your estate at the end of life. The living trust names an individual to ensure everything goes according to plan. Unlike a will, a living trust can go into effect before a person dies.
- Durable Power of Attorney: This individual is responsible for making decisions about finances and health care when you’re no longer capable. You can have multiple people in this position if you want joint decisions or don’t want to put too much stress on one individual.
Depending on the complexities of your personal affairs and finances, you may want to work with an elder law attorney. You can also look into the statewide Legal Assistance Program, which offers free and affordable legal assistance for long-term health, power of attorney, and wills.
You can use this National Institute of Aging checklist to help you organize your affairs.
Learn About Different Types Of Care
The two most common care types associated with end-of-life services are palliative and hospice care. Both types of care focus on ensuring you’re comfortable. The biggest difference is that with palliative care, your medical team will continue to treat the underlying causes of any conditions of discomfort. In hospice care, the medical team no longer treats diseases but focuses on managing symptoms.
Talk To Loved Ones About Your Wishes
Making end-of-life decisions is not something you have to do alone. Talk to your closest loved ones about what you want regarding healthcare and afterlife preparations. If you’re unable to communicate, it’s essential that those making decisions know if you wish to remain on life support, if you want treatments, and if you are a donor.
If you don’t have loved ones who can help make decisions and plans, talk to your doctors about your wishes so they know how to approach your healthcare as you near the end of your life.
Related Article: Discussing End-of-Life Care With a Loved One
End-Of-Life Care With Visiting Angels
Visiting Angels Gadsden provides end-of-life care services to support clients and their families during the natural completion of an individual’s life. Our goal is to provide physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual support as clients and loved ones navigate this difficult time. Our caregivers may work alongside hospice teams, providing comfort and ease in the final moments.
Our Gadsden office works with clients throughout Etowah, Marshall, and Blount counties. You can learn more about our at-home and end-of-life care services by contacting us and scheduling a complimentary consultation.