End of Life Care at Home in Lehighton, PA
If your loved one is in need of support at home in Lehighton, PA, count on Comfort Keepers to be there with a skilled caregiver and premium care plans
No one knows when your elderly loved one will breathe their last. When the time comes for them to be called home, emotions and stress will be running high.
At Comfort Keepers of Lehighton, PA we offer a full complement of end of life care at home services designed to help your loved one through their last days and your family once they have slipped away.
If you have been thinking about a long-term care facility, these numbers might make you think again:
- Approximately 37 percent of Americans have advanced directives covering end-of-life care if they become seriously ill or are no longer able to make their own health care decisions.
- The number of deaths during long-term carein the US is expected to reach 40 percent by 2040.
- Approximately 25 percent of all US deaths happen in a long-term care setting.
Contact Us Today! (484) 629-8500
It's Time for Your Family to Make Some Challenging Decisions
By the time your loved one needs end of life care at home, they may not be able to handle their own affairs. This puts you and your family in the position of having to make some very difficult decisions. First among these is putting together a visitation schedule for your loved one's friends and family to come and settle any issues they have and say their last goodbyes. This is also the perfect time to:
- Decide who is going to take on the role of decision maker for your loved one if the time comes when they are no longer able to do so for themselves.
- Find a good at home service to care for your loved one.
- Verifying whether your loved one is a registered organ donor.
- Who is responsible for taking care of any special final arrangements your loved one has requested.
Your Loved One's Documents and Papers
Your loved one, like most people, has various important papers and documents. Rounding them up and putting them together in a safe place where they won't get lost. This should be somewhere that both you and their provider can access quickly and easily should your loved one suffer a medical emergency.
Among the most important of these are:
- Birth certificate
- Social security card
- Legal documents such as estate plans, advance directives, wills, etc.
- Financial documents such as tax returns, deeds or titles to property, bank accounts, etc.
You should also find:
- Their list of medical care professionals
- Your loved one's DNR (Do Not Resuscitate)
- Their list of family contacts
- Their list of emergency services
If you need more information about settling your loved one's affairs, watch this video from the National Institute on Aging.
You might also find this video has some valuable information:
Learn more about advance directives and advance care planning.
Is Your Home Ready for Your Loved One to Move In?
Now that the decision to move your loved into your home, you need to make sure you have plenty of room for them. You may have to give them the largest bedroom so that both your loved one and their end of life care at home provider to move around easily. If needed, be sure you leave enough room for any special medical equipment they may need.
This might include:
- Special medical bed
- Oxygen supplies
- Bed lifts
- Commodes
- Bath chairs
- Wheelchairs
A Few Comforts Will Help Make Your Loved One More Comfortable
Your loved one may end up spending a lot of time in their room. To help make them as comfortable as you can, you might try:
- Adding a noise machine, they play music and nature sounds.
- Placing your loved one close to a window that lets them see the world outside and can be opened to let a little fresh air in.
- Hanging some photos of family and friends can help and may lead your loved one to tell some interesting and inspirational stories.
In the Days Following Your Loved One's Passing
The days following your loved one's passing are going to be full of strong emotions. They are also going to be full of important tasks that must be taken care of. As part of our care at home, our caregivers can:
- Assist with contacting a funeral home and making arrangements
- Assist with contacting with a grief counselor
- Assist with the organization of important documents
- Assist with dealing with property to sell or donate
- Assist with the disposal of medications
- Assist with light housekeeping if selling the property
- Provide a shoulder to lean on and stay to share stories
Contact Us
To learn more about our end of life care at home, and find out if they are right for your loved one, contact Comfort Keepers of Lehighton, PA at (484) 629-8500 We can schedule your free in-home consultant to explain our services and create a working care plan for your loved one.
