In more recent times, it was typical for family members to provide in-home care for elderly relatives and friends. Managers of multigenerational families went through the stages of aging and death together.
Before individuals turned to hospice care in the 1970s, most end-of-life care was provided in nursing homes and hospitals. Hospice care gained popularity during this time. Families may again face the difficulties and enigmas associated with dying as the number of Americans using in-home hospice care increases.
Although everyone’s path through end-of-life is different, here we discuss some of the most typical end-of-life signals and discuss ways to make the process easier.
BREATHING DIFFICULTIES
Patients might go for extended stretches without breathing, then suddenly take short breaths. In the later stages of life, it is normal for people to experience labored or obstructed breathing. When someone has trouble breathing, they may refer to it as dyspnea or air hunger. Family members may experience distress, and hospice patients may experience fear when their loved ones experience air hunger. Patients may experience breathing anxiety, which can worsen their air hunger and start a downward spiral of discomfort.
Solutions
Your physician may recommend oxygen therapy or an increase in your oxygen levels. Morphine is frequently prescribed to patients who suffer from breathing difficulties. It does this by relaxing the blood arteries in the lungs, enabling deeper breathing. Patients may benefit from repositioning, using vaporizers, practicing relaxation techniques, or blowing a breeze through a window or fan. Most Hospice Care In Missouri City caregivers have previous expertise in helping patients with breathing difficulties.
Controlling shortness of breath in a healthy manner
DROP in both the internal temperature of the body and the blood pressure
As the end of life draws near, a person’s core temperature may drop by one degree or more. The patient’s blood pressure will also drop, which will reduce the amount of blood that flows to their hands, feet, nose, and lips. The patient’s skin may seem bluish, mottled, or even pallid. Some people may go back and forth between being hot and cold.
Solutions
Warm up your loved ones by wrapping them in cozy blankets. Do not use electric blankets on hospice patients because most cannot communicate when they are too hot. Those uncomfortable with their temperature may find relief with a cool cloth on the forehead or a fan.
LESS DESIRE FOR FOOD OR DRINK
Patients in hospice care may desire to eat yet struggle to do so due to nausea or swallowing difficulties. Alterations in taste are also possible due to the effects of certain diseases and medications.
We frequently equate nourishment and maintaining our strength with the consumption of food. Problems with the stomach and digestive system are common in persons nearing the end of their lives. It is important to avoid forcing or pressuring loved ones to eat by giving them the option to consume foods that have been loosened up whenever they so desire. It is common for the body to signal that it needs less nourishment as it transitions to active dying.
According to Synthia Cathcart, R.N., BSN, the topic of nutrition is probably one of the most guilt-inducing and emotionally charged issues for patients and their families. There will come a moment when a patient no longer feels any desire to eat. The patient should not be pressured or forced into eating, regardless of how upsetting it may be for the patient’s family.
Solutions
Those individuals who still desire to consume food should be provided with bite-sized portions. Serve patients their meals during a time of day when they are likely to be less restless or uncomfortable. Patients can drink on their own time when they have a travel cup equipped with a straw. Whether flavored or plain, ice chips are an excellent way to keep the tongue wet for someone refusing food or drink.
CHANGES IN SLEEPING PATTERNS
Your friend or family member may start sleeping for much more extended periods. This is a natural consequence of consuming fewer calories and experiencing lower overall energy levels. There is a possibility that some hospice patients will experience restlessness, agitation, or repeated motions.
Solutions
Permit the person you care about to rest. Your physician may recommend drugs to ease either your pain or your anxiety.
CONFUSION
When someone is close to dying, their mental state might vary significantly from person to person. Near the end of one’s life, it is not uncommon for individuals to experience hallucinations, confusion, and decreased responsiveness.
Solutions
Keep up the conversation with your loved one. Even if they don’t answer, it’s possible that they can still hear what you’re saying. Relaxing with some soft background music, muted lights, and calming scents may be helpful. Identify who you are when you are talking to your loved one, and maintain physical contact with them while you do so.
Alterations made toward the end of life
As the individual begins to sleep more and converse less, you may also observe the following other indicators associated with the end of life:
- The sound of gurgling with every breath
- The person’s breathing is irregular.
- Restlessness
- Confusion/hallucinations
Patients frequently breathe through their mouths, which can lead to a buildup of secretions at the posterior of the throat. This may result in gagging, hacking, choking, or even vomiting in some people. Use a vaporizer that produces a cold mist to give moisture to the air in the room, and get in touch with your hospice nurse for extra guidance if the gurgling in your chest continues.
Moaning may accompany each breath taken when a person’s breathing becomes erratic or appears to be laborious, with periods of not breathing lasting between 20 and 30 seconds. This sound is not because of any discomfort or agony; instead, it is created by air moving over voice cords that have been completely relaxed. You can make breathing easier for your loved one by elevating their head.
Read Also: What does a nonreactive HIV test mean?