4 Fears Surrounding End of Life Care and How to Overcome Them

Many families find conversations about end of life care difficult to broach with a parent or aging loved one, but surely they have come up. Perhaps you were driving away from a nursing home visit with your mother when she told you she “never wants to live in a place like that.” 

Or, maybe you were sharing coffee after a family funeral when your father told you that he “never wants to be hooked up to ventilators like Uncle Mark was.” Statements like these open a window into their desires as they relate to end of life care, but they don’t provide you with the full picture you need to adequately plan ahead. 

The 40-70 Rule^® is a good rule of thumb: have an intentional conversation surrounding these concerns by the time you are 40 and your parent is 70. But no matter your age, it can bring immeasurable peace of mind to communicate openly with your family about end-of-life fears and wishes so you can plan ahead to ensure those wishes are honored.

Here are a few of some of the most common fears and ways to overcome them.

Fear #1: “I hate the thought of having feeding tubes and ventilators keeping me alive.”
What you can do about it: Consider establishing a living will. Living wills detail an individual’s treatment preferences in the event he or she is unable to make those decisions for him- or herself. The requirements for living wills vary from state to state, so you should also consider having a lawyer assist with this. Many lawyers will prepare a living will as part of an estate planning package.

Fear #2: “I’m afraid I will end up in a nursing home, and I don’t want to die in a hospital or institution.”
What you can do about it: There are many options for end of life care outside of nursing homes and hospitals. Make sure that you have a conversation with your parent about his or her wishes and look into home care options together so that you are prepared when the time comes.

Fear #3 “What if I get dementia and can no longer make my own decisions?”
What you can do about it: It’s wise to have your parents designate a trusted person with power of attorney (POA) who will act on their behalf in the event that they are no longer able to advocate for themselves. Designating a person with POA will give them peace of mind that their care wishes will be met regardless of their mental acuity.

Fear #4: “I don’t want to lose my independence.”
What you can do about it: Look into the home care options in your area so that your parent can have the help they need to continue living independently at home without feeling like they have to rely on you to help meet their daily needs.

The best way to address the end-of-life fears your parent may be struggling with is to communicate clearly with them about their wishes in advance. If the topic doesn’t come up naturally, set up a specific time to talk. Try to remain open and put yourself in your loved ones’ shoes to better understand their wishes and the reasoning behind them. Be sure to record your discussion by taking notes so you have something to refer back to when making plans and decisions in the future. 

For many, it’s normal to feel anxiety surrounding this topic, but know that having open communication with your loved ones will likely give your family a sense of peace that will far outweigh any anxiety you feel broaching the subject.

For additional guidance when it comes to discussing end-of-life wishes with your loved ones and developing a plan, download the 40-70 Rule: An Action Plan for Successful Aging^SM or call your local Home Instead Senior Care office.

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Support at Home Another Tool for Pain Sufferers

Acetaminophen is a common over-the-counter pain killer as well as a component used in some prescription pain killers. Now there is new research out about this popular pain killer. Researchers studying acetaminophen found it has a previously unknown side effect: It blunts positive emotions.

Previous research had shown that acetaminophen works not only on physical pain, but also on psychological pain. This study takes those results one step further by showing that it also reduces how much users actually feel positive emotions, said Geoffrey Durso, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in social psychology at Ohio State University.

“Rather than just being a pain reliever, acetaminophen can be seen as an all-purpose emotion reliever,” he said.

Research revealed that people who took acetaminophen didn’t feel the same highs or lows as did the people who took placebos.

Be sure to give your doctor a clear picture of how you’re feeling, physically, mentally and emotionally. And discuss ways that you could better manage your pain, such as with the help of a physical therapist, until you can have the surgery on your hand.

In the meantime, why not contact your local Home Instead Senior Care^® office to learn how a CAREGiver^SM could assist with personal care as well as with tasks around the house and transportation. CAREGivers – both men and women – are screened, trained, bonded and insured to offer the best in companionship services for seniors like you. Support at home could help you feel less overwhelmed.

To learn more about this study, visit http://news.osu.edu/news/2015/04/13/emotion-reliever/. 

Each Home Instead Senior Care^® franchise office is independently owned and operated

Study: Loneliness Could Drive Doctors’ Visits

Experiences of loneliness and social isolation can lead to increased health care use among seniors, according to research from the University of Georgia College of Public Health and published online in the American Journal of Public Health. The study found that the frequency of physician visits was particularly influenced by chronic loneliness, and suggests that the identification and targeting of interventions for lonely elders may significantly decrease physician visits and health care costs.
 

“We often assume that if a person has enough friends and relatives they are doing OK,” noted study co-author Kerstin Gerst Emerson, an assistant professor of health policy and management.

“But loneliness is not the same as being alone. You can be lonely in a crowded room. It's very much about how you feel about your actual social relationships.”

If you get an idea that you or an aging loved one could, in fact, benefit from companionship, why not encourage her to become more active by taking up a hobby or joining a book or card club. Or, if getting out or health doesn’t permit that, perhaps try  inviting friends over for coffee or tea, or hosting a book or other hobby club. How about a movie night?

For more information about the research, visit http://ugaresearch.uga.edu/research-news/hidden-costs-of-loneliness/.

Each Home Instead Senior Care^® franchise office is independently owned and operated.

Report: Blueberries Each Day Keep Hypertension Away

Research has shown that wise food choices often do have a positive impact on health. For example, a recent Florida State study has determined that older women who consumed blueberries daily – about a cup – saw lower blood pressure and reduction in the stiffness of arteries – both linked to cardiovascular disease.

“Our findings suggest that regular consumption of blueberries could potentially delay the progression of prehypertension to hypertension, therefore reducing cardiovascular disease risk,” said Sarah A. Johnson, assistant director of the Center for Advancing Exercise and Nutrition Research on Aging (CAENRA) and postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences at Florida State University.

Johnson and a team of FSU nutrition and exercise scientists are the authors of a new paper, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “Daily blueberry consumption improves blood pressure and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with pre- and stage 1-hypertension.” 

Johnson said she is interested in looking at how functional foods – foods that have a positive impact on health beyond basic nutrition – can prevent and reverse negative health outcomes, particularly for postmenopausal women. So stay tuned to learn more.

To learn more about the report, visit http://news.fsu.edu/More-FSU-News/Blueberries-Small-fruit-delivers-big-reward.