How Do I Take Care of a Dying Family Member at Home?

If you have a family member or loved one dying at home, then you may be considering options on how to best provide care for them as they enter their end-of-life years. Family members can still take care of their loved ones’ needs. For other things, La Bella Vita Hospice provides additional care and education needed to support the care of your family member. In addition, our staff is available 24 hours a day to help answer questions or visits to evaluate changes in the patient's condition.

We value providing both timely and responsive information in addition to great care. Here are several additional steps on caring for a dying loved one at home.

Acknowledge the current situation

Death and dying can be an awkward talking point, but tiptoeing around the issue can add unnecessary stress. Follow the cues from your loved one and approach them with the subject as well as how to move forward.

Express Emotions

You may initially try to pretend that everything is alright, but expressing your feelings gives your loved one freedom to be more open about their feelings with you. You and your loved one can then discuss and outline a plan with more clarity.

Maintain a Constant Presence

Even if hospitals make you uncomfortable or you’d rather remember seeing your loved one being more active, being physically present is still more valuable than anything you can say to your loved one over the phone.

Create Consistent Communication

People at the end of life usually prefer to reminiscence about positive and pleasant memories with their loved ones and find closure. If you are around your loved ones, focus your communication around themes such as forgiveness, appreciation, and love between friends or family members as well as themselves.

Listen carefully for any messages or notes your family member or loved one would like to convey. Sometimes, people approaching death may try to communicate an important message to the ones they love the most, even if they cannot do so clearly. If this happens, reach out and stay engaged with them. What they may need during these stages in life is your presence more than ever.