Writing an obituary for a friend or family member isn’t as easy as some may think. While you likely know this person extremely well, summing up an entire life in a few paragraphs can seem daunting. There’s an underlying pressure to get it just right and do right by the deceased to ensure every reader fully understands who they were and how special they are.

This pressure is the first hurdle to overcome. It’s important to understand that not even Hemingway could adequately describe the full grandeur of a person’s life, so don’t put that burden on yourself. The purpose of an obituary is simply to inform the public of the passing, and to briefly tell their story.

The boilerplate information is often a good place to get started. Age, the cause of death, job, education, family, hometown, and places they’ve lived can serve as low hanging fruit to start writing. From there you can get more detailed by talking about any military service, hobbies, education, interests, anything they were particularly passionate about, community involvement, and church membership.

Now that the basics are out of the way, you can move on to describing personality traits and discussing who the person really was. To do this, it can be helpful to talk with other friends and family members to see how they described the deceased. Look for trends with words used in the multiple descriptions, and use these trends in the obituary. Once you’ve identified the right words to use, try to find a story that exemplifies these characteristics.

An obituary doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but you can make it as intricate as you feel the deceased would have wanted. It can be helpful to try to write the obituary as they would have written it. If they would have cracked a few jokes, then crack a few jokes, but if they were more reserved and dry, keep it simple. Whichever way you go, just remember to tell the basics and then move onto the details. 

As the Christmas season approaches, families with a loved one in hospice care might be struggling to make holiday plans. If you find yourself in this situation this season, know that this year will be different than years past, but you can still enjoy the holidays with a little planning. Whether your loved one is receiving home hospice or in an assisted care facility, here are a few things you can do to make Christmas special for the entire family.

Home Hospice

Spending Christmas with a loved one in-home hospice care is a balancing act between maintaining traditions and not overstimulating. It’s important to continue traditions and let everyone, including those getting hospice care, enjoy the traditions that are important to your family. However, overstimulating hospice patients with lots of people, sounds, and activity can cause your loved one to tire quickly and feel uncomfortable.

 Assisted Living Facility

Although your loved one might not be celebrating Christmas in their home, that doesn’t mean you can’t make it feel like home. Bring some decorations over for them and add some holiday touches to their living space. If there are special decorations like an angel tree topper or snow globe collection, make sure to bring those over. For the morning of festivities, it might be best to limit the number of people who come over or plan shifts so you don’t overwhelm them. Their living space might not be able to handle a big group of people and large groups can also overstimulate the patient.

If different family members are coming in shifts, this can be a great opportunity for each group to cook a favorite dish and bring it with them. This lets everyone still have a meal with your loved one and lets them maintain a consistent nap schedule.

It might not seem like Christmas and hospice mix, and this might still be an emotionally difficult year, but you can still make this Christmas special. Whatever you plan on doing, check with your hospice medical team to make sure it won’t interfere with treatment. Your hospice team might also be able to help you with a few things, so it never hurts to check. 

As our loved ones get older, falls become more and more of a hazard. The National Institute on Health reports that falls cause more trauma-related hospital admissions, fractures, loss of independence and injuries for older adults. Numbers like these make you realize just how susceptible seniors are to falls and how serious of an issue falls are. Thankfully, there are ways to recognize fall risks and take appropriate action.

Aging

One of the biggest, and possibly most obvious, factors that can lead to falls is aging. As we get older our reflexes get slower and our sense of balance diminishes. This combination can turn a small slip into a big fall. Another aging factor is weak leg muscles. This can happen as seniors become less mobile and the muscle strength in their legs gets worse.

Medication

Studies have shown that the more medication a senior takes, the more likely they are to experience a fall. This happens because a lot of medications commonly prescribed to seniors have side effects like dizziness, confusion, and impaired brain circulation.

Preventing Falls

The best way to prevent falls is to identify the most likely causes and act appropriately. If falls are being caused by balance and reflex issues, exercise classes that focus on improving these functions can be a huge help. A geriatrician can also review all medications to help curb the negative effects of medications.

One of the best ways to help seniors avoid falls is to buy a cane or walker. This allows them to retain mobile and maintain their muscle strength, but also gives them more sure footing in case of a slip or momentary loss of balance.

Falls are common among seniors, but they don’t have to be. By being proactive and spotting the early signs you can help your aging loved one avoid falls and stay out of the hospital. 

Over thirty-four million Americans are caregivers to family members, and many of them do so from a distance of an hour away or more.  Thanks to advances in technology, assisting seniors from afar is getting easier. 

Statistics show that the American population is aging, and the oldest of the senior population is the fastest-growing group.  Naturally, members of that demographic often suffer from debilitating health issues, and care for those issues is expensive.  Most older Americans prefer to age in place, and with technological products and services, it is becoming easier for caregivers to arrange that, and even saves money over alternatives.  According to The Economist, using goods and services to help seniors stay home can improve quality of life and helps prevent expensive hospital stays.  Here are some of the available options.

Products

Wearables.  Wearable devices that resemble traditional wristwatches provide seniors with activity trackers, medication reminders, and safety assistance.  Lively offers a safety watch, and Wisewear offers stylish bracelets in a few different designs to suit a user’s sense of style.

Voice-activated devices.  Gadgets such as the Amazon Echo allow seniors to turn on and off lights, change the temperature on the thermostat, and turn on and off garden sprinklers. 

Apps.  Professionals from Provider Magazine recommend apps like CareZone to help caregivers stay organized and coordinated with family members, doctors and other providers.  Users can manage medications, track health conditions, coordinate appointments, organize health care information such as insurance and physicians, and communicate by sharing files, photos and notes. 

GreatCall Link monitors daily activity and alerts family members when something is wrong.  It also can notify highly-trained emergency personnel, if needed. 

The National Alzheimer’s Center created Balance especially for Alzheimer’s caregivers.  This app facilitates coordinating between multiple caregivers and tracking common behavioral and emotional symptoms, and keeps caregivers informed of related health news. 

Monitoring systems.  These systems employ sensors in seniors’ homes to track their daily activity.  Sensors can be attached throughout the home to various objects like doors, appliances, cabinets, medicine chests and bedding.  They learn normal activity patterns and alert caregivers if seniors deviate, such as wandering outside late at night or not making breakfast in the morning.  The GrandCare System is one that the experts at AgingCare suggest. 

Services

Some cities lend themselves particularly well to aging in place, thanks to the technology-based services they offer.  Connecting with various agencies can assist elderly people with remaining independent.  Commuting services such as Uber allow seniors to run errands and visit friends.  Pet care can be hired through websites such as Rover.com, and lawn care can be arranged from services such as Porch.  If a senior can’t manage groceries alone, there are shopping and delivery services like Instacart, and in-home care can be arranged through providers such as CareLinx.  For seniors uncomfortable with technology, a family member or friend can make arrangements for them.  According to the experts at Redfin, seniors can save money with this kind of arrangement:

“For seniors who need basic assistance and want to remain at home, these services are an attractive option. And, depending on the amount of care required, they can be a more affordable option as well. For example, in Washington D.C., a resident could spend $3,000 on care services and $2,787 on their mortgage, and still spend less than the $5,933 it would take to live in an assisted living facility.”

Aging in place is getting easier

The population is growing older and the vast majority of people prefer to age in place.  Caregivers are connecting with products and services to make this a possibility, improving quality of life for seniors and reducing hospital visits.  In the long run, seniors and their support system save money.  Thanks to these advances, life is getting better for the elderly and their caregivers. 

When it comes to end-of-life care, there are many symptoms that are misunderstood. One symptom that is well known, but not well understood, is terminal respiratory secretions. Commonly referred to as a death rattle, this symptom involves noisy breathing and tends to raise several questions from family members.

The cause of terminal respiratory secretions, or death rattle, is a build up of mucus and saliva in the patient’s throat. In many cases, terminally ill patients will eventually lose the ability to swallow and clear their throat. As they begin to lose consciousness, this build up will stay lodged in their throat, moving in time with the patient’s breathing. This movement causes a crackling and rattling sound.

How to Care for a Patient with a Death Rattle

Terminal respiratory secretions aren’t always an indication of respiratory distress, but the sound can often raise concerns from the family of the patient. There are a few medications, such as Hyoscyamine (Levsin) and Atropine, that can be administered to decrease the patient’s saliva production. Another way to treat terminal respiratory secretions is to reposition the patient on their side and raise their head to help the patient be more comfortable.

Although death rattles aren’t a pleasant sound for families to hear, it is a natural part of end-of-life care. When a patient begins to experience this symptom, it’s normally an indication the patient is nearing the end. This can be a cue for family members to come say their final goodbyes, and for our bereavement consolers to come meet with the family to help guide them through this time.

If you’re in need of hospice care in Tulsa or the surrounding areas, call Cura Hospice and Palliative Care. Our team of hospice professionals is here to help your loved one deal with symptoms like terminal respiratory secretions and other common end-of-life symptoms.