Palliative Care for Veterans with Serious Illness

It can be distressing for a veteran’s family to see them suffering from a serious illness. Palliative care is recommended in veterans who are battling with the last stage of any malignant or non-malignant condition. Home care for such veterans is carried out with a primary objective to provide care to heroes in the comfort of their homes. It also helps the veteran to make most of the time with their family members.

Palliative Care at Home

Palliative care focuses on improving quality of life and relieving pain and stress related to the illness, of both the veteran and their family. Many veterans prefer palliative care at home where they feel most comfortable.

Palliative care at home can include:

• Assisted living and personal care, such as dressing, bathing, and toileting
• Administering medications
• Provide pain management
• Preparing meals as per the nutritional requirement and taste
• Washing dishes
• Housekeeping activities such as dusting, laundry, vacuuming, or changing beds
• Taking care of pets
• Supporting independent living
• Providing companionship
• Reminding and providing medications to manage the symptoms
• Running errands

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Managing symptoms at home

• Pain is a frequent occurrence in most of the serious illnesses. Thus, in most of the cases, analgesics would be required at frequent intervals. Skilled professionals are aware of the medications to be given along with their dose to help the veterans to combat pain.
• Constipation requires dietary modifications and laxatives.
• Medications and oxygenation for breathlessness
• Complementary therapies, such as relaxation techniques and aromatherapy

Types of Palliative Home Care Services

There are various options for palliative home care services. Some of them are:

Home visits

You can select the frequency of the support required in a day. Home visits by a skilled professional can help in providing care such as wound healing or providing oxygen inhalation at home.

Live-in care

The key benefit of this option is that the veteran gets to stay at home, which improves their health and wellbeing. During the end stage of diseases, the environment plays an important role in the management of the condition. Veterans get to be with their pets and family, which would be of immense pleasure.

Respite Care

This type of care provides care in the absence of the caregiver and give them the much-needed break. The frequency can be pre-determined or decided when the caregiver suddenly falls ill.

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