Deciding that a loved one needs elder care services opens up a wealth of choices you may find difficult to navigate. One route you could go is palliative care. To aid in your decision, Visiting Angels Medina in Ohio, an in-home care agency, offers some information. 

First, it’s important to understand what palliative care is. Often, people confuse the term with hospice care, but it is actually different. The latter is administered when a patient is at the end of their life due to an illness that cannot be beaten. Palliative care can be enlisted at any point of treatment, from diagnosis and on, and not necessarily due to a failure to overcome illness. 

Many seniors who receive palliative care have illnesses like cancer, lung disease, heart disease, AIDs, and dementia, to name a few. If your loved one has been diagnosed with a similar disease, they may be getting current medical treatment from doctors, but need someone there for them every day as well. This means people to assist them with eating, bathing, and other tasks.

If you feel as though you or your loved one has a lack of understanding of the disease or how it progresses, palliative care is an excellent resource. Elder care service providers understand how these diseases work and have treated them time and again. They can help the whole family through the process and the phases of what your loved one endures.

Palliative care is not just about physical issues, though. It often extends to helping patients mentally, spiritually, and socially. It can include but isn’t limited to physical therapy, counseling, and support groups. If your loved one seems to have difficulty coping with their recent diagnosis and would benefit from emotional support and therapy, this is an ideal route. 

The dedicated, compassionate elder care service providers at Visiting Angels Medina are ready to help your loved one in their current situation. For more information on this and other services, such as preparing meals, running errands, and distributing medications, call them at (330) 723-0300. Or, visit their website for more information on their services.