Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz said it best – “there’s no place like home”. For most of us, home is where we want to be. It’s where our creature comforts are, where we feel most content and happy, and it’s where our friends and family come to visit. It’s natural, then, that some individuals who are experiencing their end of life want to spend their last days and moments at home. Learn more about what's involved with preparing for a death at home in this week's Changing Lives Podcast.
Listen on 91x FM
You can listen to episodes of "Changing Lives" on 91x FM each Monday (except for holidays) at 9:05am. Hospice Quinte is grateful to the support that 91x FM provides in producing the "Changing Lives" podcast.
About Hospice Quinte
Hospice Quinte provides individuals, their families, and caregivers with compassionate end of life care, by attending to their physical, psychosocial, and practical needs, and offering empathetic care to those who are grieving through visiting hospice services and support groups. All Hospice Quinte programs and services are provided by compassionate, well-trained volunteers and staff at no charge to the individual or their family.
Hospice Quinte serves a population of over 1110,000 in Quinte West, Belleville, Deseronto, Tyendinaga Township and the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. To find out more visit HospiceQuinte.ca.
Support the show
Support the show
Listen on 91x FM
You can listen to episodes of "Changing Lives" on 91x FM each Monday (except for holidays) at 9:05am. Hospice Quinte is grateful to the support that 91x FM provides in producing the "Changing Lives" podcast.
About Hospice Quinte
Hospice Quinte provides individuals, their families, and caregivers with compassionate end of life care, by attending to their physical, psychosocial, and practical needs, and offering empathetic care to those who are grieving through visiting hospice services and support groups. All Hospice Quinte programs and services are provided by compassionate, well-trained volunteers and staff at no charge to the individual or their family.
Hospice Quinte serves a population of over 102,000 in Quinte West, Belleville, Deseronto, Tyendinaga Township and the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. To find out more visit HospiceQuinte.ca.
The idea of dying in the comfort of your own home is a concept that is popular with many Canadians. According to the Canadian Institute of Health Information as many as 75% of Canadians wish to die in their own homes, but only 15% do. A Statistics Canada 2017 report revealed that as many as 60% of the population dies in a hospital setting. That is quite a difference from what the majority has expressed as their desired end of life wishes. Let’s discuss some of the possible reasons for this discrepancy.
Remaining at home while you are dying requires a lot of care - in fact 24-hour care towards end of life. Preparing for a death at home involves discussions with your family and your care team. Advance care planning discussions with your family are important to know what your final wishes are regarding your end-of-life care. However, it is also important to have planning discussions regarding the logistics of providing care at home. Having a plan will reduce your worries along with your family members and will ensure that you have the right supports in place to ensure you are comfortable and well cared for. According to a 2018 study by Health Quality Ontario, only half of Ontarians received homecare support in their last month of life and three out of four did not have palliative specific services. Not having proper home care support could be a potential burden for your family and lead them towards physical and emotional burnout. Services such as having a visiting volunteer from your local hospice provides caregivers with the opportunity to take some much-needed respite time for themselves so that they can continue to provide care for you. Speaking with your family physician, Home and Community Care Coordinator, or a staff member from your local hospice can help you to develop a plan so that you and your family have the supports and resources required to care for you at home.
Having a competent and educated caregiver is also important. Caregiving can be very stressful as I already indicated, but having the proper knowledge of what to expect in the dying process can avoid unnecessary stress and emergency hospitalizations. Palliative care education through your local hospice can prepare caregivers to recognize the symptoms of the body shutting down versus medical emergencies. Symptoms such as shortness of breath, decreased appetite, confusion or increased chest secretions can easily be managed in the home even if your loved one is no longer able to swallow their medications. Your local hospice can provide education on comfort care measures, which will lessen some of these distressing symptoms. Trained hospice visiting volunteers can also assist with comfort measures, while you take a break from your caregiving duties.
Another thing to consider is the actual suitability of your home. For example, if you have a two-story home is there space on the main floor to setup a bedroom? Is the bathroom accessible with a walker or wheelchair? An Occupational Therapist can conduct a survey of your home and make recommendations for safe homecare and assistive devices. For example, are there unnecessary tripping hazards such as rugs? Is the bathroom equipped with grab bars in the shower or elevated toilet seats? Your care team can help direct you to these safety accessories and possibly even funding for these devices. Towards the end of your life, you will end up spending more time in bed. You and your family may wish to decorate your newly accessible bedroom with pictures of loved ones and mementos of cherished memories. These reminders of your past can provide you with comfort as well as conversation starters for your family and in-home care team.
Whatever you decide for your end of life wishes it is important to speak with your family and your care team to be well prepared, educated and to get the resources in place to make your death at home as comfortable as possible. It is important to have a contingency plan in place in the event that your care exceeds what your family and care team can provide in the home. Speak with your local hospice to learn more about preparing for a death in the home.
Hospice Quinte provides individuals, their families, and caregivers with compassionate end of life care, by attending to their physical, psychosocial, and practical needs, and offering empathetic care to those who are grieving through visiting hospice services and support groups. All Hospice Quinte programs and services are provided by compassionate, well-trained volunteers and staff at no charge to the individual or their family. We serve a population of over 102,000 in Quinte West, Belleville, Deseronto, Tyendinaga Township and the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.