How to Improve the Quality of Life for Your Parent with Cancer

21 October 2014

Jaime Allen

Your parent has battled cancer for months. In spite of the best attempts by health care providers, the end of their life is near. This is the time to focus on the quality of life for your parent, and the support of family members around them. This is the goal of hospice care groups such as Orchard Hill at Sudbury Assisted Living Community.

Hospice care is a great way to make sure your parent is comfortable in their final moments. They also educate and support the family that has devoted their time caring for the ailing parent. Learn about the important services given by the hospice staff during this end-of-life phase of your parent.

Comfort and Awareness

Keeping your parent's pain under control while allowing them to remain conscious of and responsive to their surroundings is a primary goal. Instead of using sedation, the staff monitors pain control closely so your parent is medicated enough to be comfortable, yet allows them to enjoy the friends and family around them. By being awake and alert, your parent can also participate in the decisions that affect their life.

Medical and Spiritual Care

The hospice staff are there to support your parent's belief system in their passing. They will work with you and your spiritual leaders to provide care that is in line with religious beliefs. They will help with specific rituals or ceremonies important to your parent. They will also support you and your family as you face the death of your parent and reflect on what that means in your particular faith.

Family Education

 

Many people don't think about death until it's right in front of them. Because of that, watching a parent as they pass away can be scary, frustrating and uncomfortable for family members. Hospice care teaches the family about the death process and how it affects both the physical body and the mind. The experienced hospice worker can tell family members what to expect from the parent as they react to different stages of death. This helps the family to understand the reactions they see from the parent and learn how to better support them.

Care Coordination

The hospice staff will coordinate all of the care given to your parent. They will work with other healthcare providers, pharmaceutical services, church clergy other support personnel. This gives you a break from these responsibilities so you can enjoy your time with your parent and the rest of your family.

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