Having a terminally-ill family member is not easy. It is hard enough to see them go through a lot of pain when you can do nothing to ease their pain. Moreover, terminal illnesses usually have high fatality rates, so this adds to the stress on both you and the other family members.

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While you may not be able to get rid of their illness, you can provide them with the care that they need. It also helps them feel better when they are being taken care of by family rather than being dumped in a stranger’s care. With that in mind, here is how to cater for a terminally-ill family member.

1. Prepare the Home for the Member

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You need to make sure that the sick family member will be in a hospitable home. Start by cleaning and dusting all the areas in your home. Hire cleaners to come and ensure that they do a thorough job. Cleaning is essential to ensure that the sick person is not exposed to germs.

Prepare a room for them. You should get the room disinfected prior to the sick person moving in. You should also create more storage room for all the essentials they are going to need. You should look into OPPOLIA closets and select a suitable closet for that room. This is essential for convenience. Essentially, you want everything that the patient needs to be within reasonable reach for you and the caregiver.

Get clean bedding and curtains for the room. You want to make sure that while you host and care for your family member, they are not exposed to any infections that might deteriorate their health.

2. Organize for a Caregiver

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Terminal patients require special care. While you might be willing to take care of your sick family member, terminal illness requires special attention. They should get all the maximum care they need.

You should organize for a nurse to come and be in charge of taking care of the patient. If you can get a stay-at-home nurse, it’ll be better since the patient can get the maximum care they need. Moreover, in case of any emergency, they are in a much better position to know how to handle everything.

It goes without saying that a home should not be converted into a hospital room; rather, it should be arranged to make it simple for caregivers to carry out their duties while still providing a secure space for the patient. The caregiver should also be given full access to the house so that they can be able to offer their services at their best.

3. Ensure Patient Comfort

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Providing patients with comfort during a terminal disease is the guiding idea that underpins patient care. Therefore, the patient's setting in the family home should be comfortable. The setting should attempt to strike a balance between a caregiving atmosphere and the typical home setting a patient is accustomed to, even when hospice services are provided there. This involves striking a balance between the requirement for a calm and friendly setting and the needs of the caregivers to offer a safe and functional setting.

You should also ensure that the patient is comfortable in the sense that they do not feel lonely. Keep them engaged in family functions. This helps them to stop feeling miserable about their illness and feel like part of the family. Engage them in activities that they used to enjoy before the illness. But make sure not to overwhelm them or over-excite them. The goal is to keep them feeling happy and within the comfort of family love. They must not be overly engaged.

4. Get Healthy Food Options

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Most terminally ill patients have very little appetite. The problem stems from the illness and the medication they are taking. To help them, get fruits from the grocery store or the nearest farmer’s market. Make smoothies with different flavours for them using a combination of fruits. Fluids are good for them and these smoothies will help boost their energy. It also helps reduce nausea from the medication.

Healthy foods should not be just for the patient, but the entire household. It makes the patient feel better when they know they are being served the same food as everybody else in the house.

The Bottom Line

Catering for a terminally-ill patient requires patience and dedication not just from you, but all the family members in the household. You’ll need to prepare the house before the arrival of the patient, organize for a caregiver to handle the patient, ensure the patient’s comfort and get healthy food options to help the patient get more energy. All the best!