70% of Elderly Australians prefer to die at home, rather than in a hospital or Nursing Home. Yet only around 14% actually die in their own homes*.
Most Elders end-up dying in the hospital or Nursing Home, their least preferred places. This is not the case for Daughterly Care in home care clients. Our private care clients, who want to die at home, do so.
Why can Daughterly Care clients die at home as they wish, when most Australians don’t − despite these percentages?
1. Australian society does not have conversations around planning to die well and yet it is having that conversation with your family or a Daughterly Care Registered Private Nurse or Home Nursing Case Manager that will make it possible to die at home.
Your family or if you don’t have family, a Daughterly Care High Care Case Manager can enable you to die well at home. If, and only if they know your wishes as to what makes a good death – according to your values and beliefs.
2. Put legal systems in place to support your preference to die at home.
For example, having an end-of-life in-home care plan (or Advanced Care Plan) pre-organised is essential as it tells your Enduring Guardians or Next of Kin what type of home nursing care you want when you reach the Palliative Care or End of Life stage.
Your Enduring Guardian is the person or persons who have the legal right to make decisions regarding your in-home care and accommodation when you can no longer make those decisions for yourself.
If you have written your Will and nominated your Enduring Power of Attorney some years ago, you might not have an Enduring Guardian. Make sure you have this set up today!
3. Decide in advance where you or your family can get help from when they need in-home support or extra assistance.
For example, you might say to your family or guardian, I want you to use Daughterly Care to provide home care services and aged care support for us through this journey because:
a) We have never done this before and they have, many times over 21 years;
b) They always work alongside the free and expert community Palliative Care doctors and Registered Nurses;
c) They have Registered Private Nurses, plus Live in Carers and Hourly Caregivers so they can recommend the right level of support plus they don’t over service;
d) They have High Care Case Managers who manage the home care nursing for their palliative care clients;
e) They know what equipment will be needed to make my final journey more comfortable and easier for you; and
f) They will assist with organising Government funding for the palliative care journey.
Arranging in home palliative care is easy with Daughterly Care if the preference for yourself or your elderly Loved One is to stay at home. Often it’s just a matter of being organised in advance or as early as possible and addressing your concerns.
A Milsons Point client whose husband is in the palliative care stage of life and receives live-in care:
“I have been so impressed with the care that I have observed been given to Mrs J of Rose Bay, that I have decided to bring my husband home from the hospital with Daughterly Care on board from tomorrow. I think Daughterly Care Live in Carers are wonderful.”
The two most common concerns people have are…
Concern 1: I don’t want to die in pain
Your free Community Palliative Care Team includes Specialist Palliative Care Doctors and Registered Nurses who determine the treatment plan and pain management, as well as managing health issues during the Palliative Care and End of Life stages.
When the free Community Palliative Care Nurses can’t be there to administer Schedule 8 medications such as Morphine, Daughterly Care Private Nurses can.
Concern 2: I don’t want to be a burden to my family
If you have ever nursed a Loved One through a chronic illness or are presently supporting a Loved One with chronic illness, you’ll understand what an emotionally and physically tiring time this is for the family, let alone the person who is being palliated.
Just the sadness makes you feel so emotionally tired and exhausted so it is a good idea to know in advance who you can ring for a break or extra assistance.
One fact that is for certain, is that you and your family will feel more supported with Daughterly Care guiding and assisting you. What also needs to be understood is that it is a journey many families willingly make to show their respect and love of their spouse, partner or parent, no matter how tiring.
Of course some Elders’ children are very busy or they have no children or spouse alive to support them. In these circumstances, Daughterly Care provides the core of their palliative 24 hr and end of life care.
The following diagram represents one example of how Daughterly Care can support you in the palliative care and near death process.
Palliative Care is different to End of Life Care.
Palliative Care is specialised care that addresses the holistic needs of a person who has a terminal or life-limiting condition, as well as the personal needs of their family and carers.^ It aims to improve that person’s quality of life with dignity and choice, and includes managing pain, getting treatment and providing psychological, emotional and spiritual support.
Palliative Care can be provided for months or years, whereas End of Life care tends to cover those last weeks of life and generally requires 24 hr care for the elder.
This stage of life or the very close to dying stage can be a time when families become closer to saying their goodbyes and the final wishes of how the ill person, generally an elderly senior prefers to be cared for, can be documented and discussed using an Advanced Care Plan. It can also be a time when differences in values are magnified causing great stress.
Our in-home private Nurses can provide you with a copy of such a document and explain what is involved, should you need their help.
Our attentive and experienced Palliative Care Caregivers and live in carers and in-home care private Nurses can be there for the entire journey to help and support everyone involved.
With over 21 years experience in caring for Elders, Daughterly Care has a great deal of experience during the Palliative Care and End of Life Care stages of life.
May 22nd – 28th is National Palliative Care week and it is designed to raise awareness of palliative care, and encourage the Australian community to talk about the important issues surrounding death and dying.
Daughterly Care’s Private Nurses and Live in Carers or Hourly Caregivers can provide Palliative and End of Life Care:
- on a pay by the hour;
- as active overnight care;
- with live in care; or
- on a 24 hours (24/7) basis.
Just choose what best suits you and your family’s needs.
Elders who opt for Live in Palliative Care in their own homes:
- have one dedicated Carer per 24 hr day and only 2 Caregivers over (7 days) a full week;
- receive a minimum of 8 hours direct care per day;
- have personalised, relationship-based, person-centred in home care tailored to their preferences.
In addition, accessing in home palliative care early can help you or your elderly Loved One have the best possible quality of life with dignity, privacy and choice.
Yvonne has made the last 5 few weeks of Helen’s life really lovely.
She was a perfect match for Helen and she looked after Helen so well. I am so pleased that I used Daughterly Care to care for my sister. Please thank Marga who started the service, she was wonderful to Helen.
Even though Helen was prepared to go to hospital for the last few days, Yvonne was able to be with Helen the whole time until the moment she passed away, unlike staff at the hospital who would have been coming and going at the time. I felt this made Helen’s passing so much more peaceful and with no anxiety. Yvonne was able to do so much more for Helen then the hospital could have.
Total one-on-one care and Helen slipped away very peacefully and with no pain.
Thank you Daughterly Care for providing such a wonderful service.
Geoff
For more information on Palliative Care and the full range of in Home Care services, ring Daughterly Care’s Case Managers on 02 9970 7333.
If you would like to know more about how we care for our Palliative Care clients, click here.
Kate Lambert
B.Ec F.Fin
Daughterly Care CEO & Co-Founder
Sources:
^Palliativecare.org.au
*Grattan Institute: grattan.edu.au
**Bentley Annual Survey Aged Care Homes 2015
I have been involved with death and dying over the past 10 years in my previous job in an Aged Care Facility as well as with Daughterly Care in the last 12 months and saw that in a Facility the continuity and care that was provided was lacking in so many aspects. From being in an unfamiliar environment, to constant change of staff during shift change, and lengthy periods of being on their own during their palliative stage, I found confronting for the person who was experiencing so many feelings of fear, anxiety, isolation, restless and doubt, in so much that I was constantly going to the person to ensure their comfort and have conversation with them to gauge how they were feeling in themselves. I wanted to give so much more. When I was able to work in live-in care with Daughterly Care I found that what I so wanted to offer before, was so easily provided for when the person was in their own home surrounded by familiarity, comfort and reassurance, it was a pleasure to be a part of.
I have been in both situations, as a family member caring for my dying nephew and as part of a palliative care team caring for a client through her Palliative and End of Life Care. To be able to provide Person Centred Care to your client, within a familiar environment and from care givers who are experienced and concerned about your care and welfare, is paramount to every persons right to dignity, respect and the right to die peacefully and free of pain at home. Having a care team on board such as Daughterly Care, and access to Community Palliative Support Team is the best for the client who wants to die at home, and certainly for family &/or support people involved.
I cared for my grand mother few days before she died, I remembered she was lucid, there was no sort of communication, I used to hold her hand and she seemed to respond by pressing my hand back. Her brain was still comprehending but she was sort of fading away. Her last breathe was long and looking thru at something or someone, it was a peaceful death. I kept holding her hand and whispered in her ear it was ok, she can let go that all will be ok. I was a bit shocked and called my mother to come and a priest was called for last rites.
Thank you for sharing this personal story Vilma. I have no doubt the comfort you gave your grandmother helped her greatly and gave her the peace she was needing. It is a very special thing to be able to give to someone in our lives.