No one really wants to think about what will happen after they pass away, but many caregivers are put in those situations when their loved ones begin to age. Ideally, your loved one should have already prepared a will or an end of life wishes document, but not everyone does.
If you are the sole caregiver of an aging loved one, it’s helpful to know the process of how to ensure your loved one’s wishes are met when they are no longer able to tell you themselves. That’s when you may need to think about end-of-life care, or hospice, as well as planning around those challenging times and providing respite to yourself too. Caregivers often suffer from burnout, because caring through an elderly loved one who can no longer care for themselves can be a full-time job, and it’s exhausting. Many family caregivers may still have their own jobs, lives and children to look after, so finding time to take care of yourself is important too.
Family caregivers are often also tasked to make those tough hospice, or end of life decisions for their loved ones, and it can be overwhelming. Below, we are going to offer you some tips on how to plan for end-of-life care, so that you can be as informed as possible when the time comes that you will have to make those decisions for your loved one to ensure the highest possible standard of care.
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